Wanderer of Berk
by Appleye2
Summary: Modern AU. Hiccup was a man possessed. On the run after being falsely convicted of murdering his father, he has wandered for the last six years to find the truth. Now he has come to Berk, looking for answers. He finds much more than he bargained for. Revised Story.
1. Chapter 1

**It's BAA-ACKK! Revised and completed, Hiccup the man with a harried past has returned. WARNING: This story is very much M-rated for violence and dark themes. I'll try to leave markers for the worst bits so you can skip over. Beware chapter 10.**

* * *

It was late afternoon, and the sun was already sinking low over the hills as the old beat up F100 pickup truck roared down the road towards the small town of Berk. The truck used to be black at one point, but was now a motley of different colours as a result of all the repairs done to it over the years. There were many dents and scrapes along the sides, each with a curious tale behind them. Including a few interesting bullet-shaped holes running under the driver's side window. Not that the truck or its owner were about to tell those stories anytime soon.

The auburn haired young man behind the wheel pulled his battered cowboy hat down low over his eyes to shade them against the afternoon sun. He scratched the side of his scruffy jawline before reaching across to stroke the huge black wolf sitting in the passenger seat beside him.

"What d'ya reckon, bud? Think we'll get some answers here?"

The wolf gave him a lick on his arm.

"Yeah. I hope so too, Bud. I hope so too."

-oOo-

It wasn't long before he was driving through town, glancing between the street signs and a crumpled piece of paper in his hand, looking for the address written on it. He found it soon enough, an old building with faded letters written along the top, "The Forge Mechanics". Pulling up outside, he could see that the shop was already shut. He turned off the engine and sighed.

"Seems we'll have to wait it out till tomorrow, bud," he told the wolf beside him. "Let's see if the coffee shop is still open, and at least get something to eat. Come on, Toothless. Look after the truck for me, will ya? I'll be back as soon as I can," said Hiccup as he got out of the cab, Toothless following him.

Hiccup patted the side of the tray and the wolf easily jumped up and over, turning around once before settling down on the bottom. Hiccup headed off back up the street towards a shop he had seen on his way in, with his head down and hands shoved in his pockets. He didn't bother with locking his truck. His security system was already in place.

He hadn't managed to walk too far, when a tall, gangly lad with long blonde dreadlocks appeared out of a doorway. The young man looked up and did a double take when he saw the stranger in his town.

"Hiccup?" he called out.

Hiccup glanced up. "Tuffnut?"

"Hey man. How've you been? What'cha ya doing here?" Tuffnut called out as he came over to shake the other man's hand with great enthusiasm.

"Just travelling through," Hiccup told him briefly.

"Well, you got time for a coffee? My shout. Where you staying?" Tuff shot off rapidly, still shaking Hiccup's hand.

Hiccup extracted his hand with a wry grin. "Yeah I got time. Especially if you're buying. Nowhere yet," he answered.

"Well, come on, then. My sister works at the coffee shop. I've been telling her all about you, and she's keen to meet ya," the man spoke excitedly, hand behind Hiccup's back as he not so subtly pushed him towards the coffee shop that Hiccup had noted earlier.

"Well, I guess that's where we'll go," Hiccup responded drily.

-oOo-

Hiccup raised a brow at the name on the café door, "The Barf 'n' Belch". ' _Well, that's...creative_ ', he thought to himself, before Tuff pushed open the door.

The bell over the door tingled as the two men entered and walked over to the counter. A female version of Tuff came through from the back room, popping gum.

Her eyes immediately raked over the unassuming attractive man standing beside her brother, with obvious interest.

"Hey, handsome," she greeted him with a sly smile.

Tuff spoke quickly, "Ruff... I want you to meet Hiccup. You know, the dude I told you about who saved my life. He's travelling through Berk at the moment."

Her eyes turned back to the stranger with greater interest. "Well, we'll have to find a reason for you to stay a little longer, then, won't we?" she purred, giving him a sultry smile and putting her hand on a cocked hip suggestively.

Hiccup's eyes lit up with amusement and his eyebrow twitched, but his flat expression did not change. "I'm only here to look up an old family friend. Then I'll be on my way," he told her carefully.

"Oh? Who ya looking for? Maybe we can help you find them?" offered Tuff.

Hiccup turned to the man beside him, "Gobber. His shop's shut so I'll have to wait till tomorrow."

"Well then dude, you'll just have to camp out with me and Ruff till then, won't you?" said Tuff, not expecting a 'no'.

"Yeah," agreed Ruff readily. "Give us time to thank the man who saved Tuff from being killed."

Hiccup shook his head wearily, "Nothing to thank. I appreciate the offer, but I'll be camping out with Toothless tonight."

"Nothing to thank? Dude, there were like four of them! And they were all over me, till you come blasting in with those fists of fury and stopped them dead. I would've been a goner if you hadn't stepped in. And who's Toothless?" asked Tuff, as he recollected the time that Hiccup had saved him from a fierce gang of four men who were attempting to take his wallet late one night in the neighbouring town of Raven's Point. Tuff didn't want to go without a fight, but had been quickly overwhelmed until Hiccup, a total stranger, arrived and evened out the sides a little. The four men had all left with serious misgivings and more than a few injuries. Hiccup and Tuff had introduced themselves, but hadn't seen each other after that.

"Glad I could help. Toothless is my wolf," Hiccup nodded, his stance reserved and aloof.

"You have a wolf?"

"Yeah."

"Where did you get a wolf from?" asked Ruff curiously. She was still making eyes at the alluring, although mysterious young man, but Hiccup was refusing to get involved.

"Found him in a trap. Should'a killed him...but I didn't...I let him loose, and he attacked me...should'a killed me...but he didn't. So we decided to call it even, and we've stuck together ever since. Smartest canine I've ever met. Except when it came to befriending me...then he made a serious error in judgement," Hiccup drawled in a flat tone.

"So you managed to train him, huh?" asked Tuff.

"Nope...more like we trained each other. He's my best friend," replied Hiccup, a flicker of warmth passing through his eyes at the mention of his wolf.

Tuff nodded sagely at that, and the two went to sit down at one of the empty booths while Ruff left to rustle up some food and drinks for them. She joined them soon after as there were no other customers. Hiccup agreed to spend the evening with the pair at their house, with Tuff offering to ride shotgun and show him the way.

The men left the cafe, leaving Ruff to close up shop. When the two were almost at Hiccup's pickup, Tuff advised him, "I wouldn't leave your truck open like that, man. The kids round here will pick it clean in no time flat."

Hiccup gave a derisive snort. "They could try, but they won't get far."

"Huh?"

Toothless took that moment to rise up from the bed of the tray where he had been hidden, his dark furry face looming over the edge, his lip lifted in a low growl.

Hiccup put his hand out flat for the wolf to lick. "It's okay, bud. He's a friend."

"Oh, I see. Your wolf. He's sure impressive," agreed Tuff, backing up a little nervously.

Hiccup eyed off the man before waving him over. "Come introduce yourself. He won't hurt you."

"Ah...sure," Tuff hesitantly inched closer, and reluctantly stuck out his hand when Hiccup motioned for him to do so. "He's not going to take off my hand, is he?" Tuff asked worriedly, his hand in front of Toothless. The wolf sniffed, then sat and thumped his tail happily on the tray.

"Nah...you're good. He's a total sook...unless you try to hurt him or me. Then he's a killer," replied Hiccup nonchalantly, giving the wolf an affectionate scrub.

"Oh..." Tuff pulled his hand back immediately. "How did he get a name like Toothless anyway?

Hiccup gave a sad smile as he gazed at his canine companion fondly. "He lost a few teeth in a fight to protect me. Afterwards I was teasing him and calling him 'Toothless' but then he wouldn't answer to anything else, so the name stuck."

Just at that moment, said wolf gave a huge yawn exposing a full set of white pointy teeth.

Tuff nodded towards the canine, "Seems to have all his teeth now."

"Implants," came the short reply.

"Oh."

-oOo-

Tuff showed Hiccup the way to his and Ruff's house, and this time Hiccup locked up his truck, allowing Toothless to enter the house with them. They were settled in the lounge with more drinks and food, as Tuff and Ruff tried to get to know Hiccup a little better. The twins soon found that Hiccup was a man of few words and a lot of secrets, becoming very evasive about his reasons for being in Berk and only telling them he needed to see Gobber about some old family business.

Ruff was doing her best to win over the solitary man, but found she couldn't crack through that hardened shell he had on. But someone else came to mind, who she believed could. Excusing herself, she hurried into her room to make a phone call. After she left, Tuff told Hiccup, "You know...I might be able to find Gobber for you tonight. I think I've got his number here somewhere..." He searched around the messy room looking for a phone book.

"If you could, that would be great. I'm in a bit of a hurry to get a few things sorted," Hiccup told Tuff.

"Found it," crowed Tuff triumphantly when he located what he needed. He opened it and began searching for the right number.

-oOo-

Ruff was in her room, talking to her friend, Astrid Hofferson.

"You'll never guess who's in the house with us," she almost squealed into the phone in excitement.

"Elvis?" answered Astrid sarcastically.

"No, you doofus. Can you remember the story Tuff told us about that dude who saved his life when he got mugged at Raven's Point last year?" Ruff asked.

"Yeah, vaguely. Didn't he say something about some guy came in and took out the four crims who were tackling him?" she asked, searching through her memory bank for the answer.

"That's him. He arrived in Berk today, and he's _at our house right now._ "

"Aaannd, this is exciting because...why?" drawled Astrid in confusion.

"First of all, he's a hero to us," stated Ruff as if that was the most obvious conclusion and why-hadn't-Astrid-gotten-that-bit yet. "...and secondly, he is drop dead _gorgeous,_ " she moaned. "Astrid, you have to get over here and meet this guy. I swear you'll never look at another man again," she announced firmly.

Astrid snorted into her end of the phone. "Ruff, is this some sort of matchmaking exercise you got going on? Cause you know I'm not interested in _any_ man right now. Especially 'drop dead gorgeous' ones who are probably so up themselves there's no room for anyone else in their highly over rated egotistical minds," she blasted back at her friend.

"Astrid!" Ruff chided. "We're not talking about Snotlout here...and this guy is nothing like that. I mean, he's wearing old, scruffy clothes and drives a beat up truck, for goodness sake. You can't be further away from egotistical than that. Just get over here, alright? I'll give you free lunch for a week if you do," she cajoled her reluctant friend.

"Free lunch? Woah, you must be serious." Astrid thought for a moment while Ruff held her breath in expectation. "Alright, I'll come over. But I'm only coming for the free food," she warned.

"Whatever. Just get your butt over here right now."

-oOo-

Ruff walked back into the living room just as Tuff and Hiccup were preparing to walk out the front door.

"Hey! Where are you going?" she demanded, panicking that her golden opportunity was leaving so early.

Ruff turned to his sister, "We're going over to Gobber's place. We've already spoken to him and he's waiting for us."

"But I asked Astrid to come over. You can't leave now?" she pouted.

"Sorry ma'am," drawled Hiccup. "I'm in kind of a hurry, so this Astrid will have to wait. Thank you very much for your hospitality. Much appreciated," he nodded as he jammed his hat back on his head and left, Tuff following close behind.

"Noooo," groaned Ruff as she sank back onto the couch. "So close. Darn it."

-oOo-

Tuff eagerly knocked on Gobber's door. He could hear a clanging noise followed by loud cursing. Tuff chuckled to himself. He'd never actually been here before, but all the old car bodies and engine parts lying around the front yard gave a fair indication of what the inside of the confirmed bachelor's house might look like. And why he was tripping over something.

The door opened, and an older man with a heavy paunch and a peg leg appeared. He scratched the side of his jowl with a metal hook attached to what was left of his arm.

Gobber sighed as he leaned up against the door frame. "Tuff. What is it that brings you here, that couldn't wait till morning?"

"Only this," smirked Tuff as he stepped aside to reveal Hiccup and Toothless behind him.

"Hiccup?" gasped the older man, totally stunned. "Is that you?"

"Yup. It's me, old man," Hiccup grinned for the first time since arriving in the small, backwater town.

"Well... It's certainly been a while since I last seen you. Get over here and let me look at you," he ordered, his oversized jaw splitting into a huge, toothy grin.

Hiccup stepped forward and waved his hands in front of him in a 'tah-dah' gesture. Gobber shook his head as he admired the ruggedly handsome young man standing before him, with a wolf of all creatures, beside him. He grunted as he thought about the two people who had created him and how proud they would have been, although Gobber noticed Hiccup carried the taunt features of a man who had led a hard life.

"Looks like yer still got troubles following you," he observed grimly.

Hiccup gave a curt nod, which drew a confused look from Tuff.

"It hasn't been easy, Gobber. I won't lie to you about that. I need your help, old man. That's why I've tracked you down."

"Wait a minute," interrupted Tuff. "You need help? What's the problem? I want to help too," he offered enthusiastically, not understanding the look that passed between the two old friends.

Hiccup sighed, and his face darkened. "It's not that easy, Tuff. There is too much going on and I don't want to drag you in. Let's just say it would be hazardous to your health. Yours and your sisters. If you know what's good for you, you will turn around now and forget that you ever met me. I'm no good for anyone," he finished bitterly.

Gobber placed his hand on Hiccup's arm in a show of comfort with a sad, knowing smile.

"Gotten that bad, huh?" asked the older man.

Hiccup sighed darkly. "You've no idea, Gobber."

"What?" Tuff was confused. "What sort of trouble are you in? I still owe you big time. Maybe this will be a way for me to repay the debt?"

Hiccup told him, "I appreciate the offer, but consider dinner as repayment in full. I don't want to cause you any trouble."

Tuff grinned, "You know 'trouble' is my middle name, right?"

"I thought it was La-vern?" smirked Gobber.

Tuff ignored him. "Come on, Hiccup. Let me help you," he pleaded.

"You've already done more than enough for me, Tuff. I'll take you back home now, then come back here. I need to talk to Gobber. Alone," he added after Tuffnut started to interrupt.

Gobber turned to Hiccup. "Have ye got somewhere to stay, lad?" he asked quietly.

"No, I was going to camp with Toothless somewhere," he admitted calmly.

Gobber thought for a moment. "How 'bout you pull up a couch here? I'll drop Tuff back home and you can park your truck 'round the back...out of sight. There's nothing flash in my house, so nothing to hurt...if you know what I mean," he told the younger man who clearly caught the underlying message. ' _Those following you, don't bother me none.'_

"I can't do that to you, Gobber," Hiccup stated in a flat tone.

"Nonsense lad. I owe it to yer parents. So get your skinny butt inside my house while I get Tuff home. And I won't take 'no' for an answer," he warned, already dragging his keys off the side table and directing the dreadlocked boy towards his old Chevy pickup. "I'll be back shortly and I expect a hot cup of tea to be waiting for me when I return," he told Hiccup cheerily, before starting up the vehicle and reversing wildly out onto the road, Tuff hanging on tight in fear.

Hiccup stared at the disappearing taillights, and gave an incredulous snort, the closest he ever came to a laugh these days. He then walked inside the house to see if he could find a kitchen, let along tea making contraptions.

-oOo-

Gobber sat quietly sipping his tea, while he watched the forlorn young man in front of him. All of his tough, stay-outa-my-way aloofness had failed miserably as soon as Gobber had come back alone after dropping off Tuff. Toothless was laying on the floor beside him.

"I'm sorry Gobber. I shouldn't have come here and involved you."

"Nonsense lad. I'm surprised you didn't come earlier," he reassured him.

"I'm a marked man, Gobber. They keep finding me and hurting whoever I get close to. So it's easier to stay away from everyone," he told the older man grimly. "I'm always running, never getting close enough to find out anything...nothing that will stick anyway. I have no friends...no life...nothing. I don't even own that truck I came in. I found it, fixed it and took it. I do a few odd jobs for anyone who will pay cash, and that keeps me going for a bit longer. I don't know how much longer I will be able to keep this up. I'm starting to feel it would be easier to give up...walk away...start up somewhere else far, far away...where they will never find me," he uttered tonelessly, his eyes flat and lifeless.

Gobber's breath hitched. He could see Hiccup had been doing it tough, but he hadn't realised the extent of it.

"Well, you're with old Gobber now. You can stay with me for as long as you need. I don't have nothin' to fear. Plus I still have a few tricks up my sleeve, so don't you worry about me, lad," he told him, his eyebrow arched and a twinkle in his eye.

"Gobber, much as I appreciate that, these guys don't mess around. They're not going to take it easy on you just because you have a peg leg and a hook hand. In fact, I'm sure that will be the first thing they target. They've already had a couple of goes at me, and I barely survived," Hiccup told him morosely.

"Hiccup...look at me," Gobber commanded, waiting patiently as the younger man reluctantly did just that. "Stoick was my best friend, lad. He was never afraid to stick his neck out for those he loved. And I'm not going to stand by and do nothing now that his son needs my help. Now you just stick with me, and let old Gobber worry about Gobber," he grinned broadly at the miserable and dejected young man. Hiccup barely nodded in response.

Gobber spoke again in a softer voice, "You know your dad was always proud of you, Hiccup. You'd already achieved so much by the time you reached your teens, being the head engineer and designer at your dad's company. But then by being so _humble_ and letting the others take credit for _your_ work!...You should'a heard him Hiccup...how he would boast so proudly about you to me. It always disappointed him a little that you didn't want him to broadcast your achievements. But he understood. And he kept it secret anyway. For you."

Hiccup hung his head again. "I know. But I didn't want anyone to know. After all the bullying and teasing I had to endure during high school, I just wanted to know that people liked me for being...me...you know? Not some child prodigy of a high profile business entrepreneur."

Gobber looked at him shrewdly. "Sounds like a lonely life for a young man."

Hiccup nodded sadly. "I often used to wonder if mum had survived...what it would have been like. Dad was always busy working...even when I started working there with him...I never really saw much of him. I know he cared about me, but..." he finished with a shrug.

"You look so much like her, did you know that?" Gobber told him softly.

Hiccup glanced up, his interest piqued. "Did you know my mother?" he asked, suddenly nervous. "Dad would never talk about her, only to say she disappeared when I was young. Do you know what happened to her?" he asked, his keen eyes watching Gobber intently.

The old man shook his head, "Nay lad. Your dad suspected foul play, but he could find no clues. Although he suspected that you were the target the night she went."

Hiccup was visibly shaken up at this news. "Me? He thought someone was after me? Why? What happened?"

Gobber stroked his jaw thoughtfully before he answered. "He'd made some enemies at the time ...powerful ones...I don't rightly know the circumstances...he would'na tell me about it. But that scar you have on your chin..."

Hiccup immediately touched the familiar scar that had been with him ever since he could remember.

Gobber continued, "...that scar came from the night your mum disappeared. It wasn't long after that, he resigned as Mayor, took you and left Berk for good."

"Berk?" Hiccup was completely shocked. "What do you mean 'left Berk'? We've always lived at Ravens Point...haven't we? And what do you mean about dad being Mayor?" Hiccup demanded forcefully.

Gobber was surprised. "He did'na tell ya? ...Lad... you were born in Berk when your dad was the Mayor here. You were only a wee lad of 3 summers when you left."

"I was...what?" Hiccup was completely blown away by this revelation, and totally lost for words. All his life, he had believed he had been born in Ravens Point, where his dad had run a successful international engineering company called 'Dragon's Edge Engineering'. He had known his mum had disappeared when he was only a babe, but it had always been too painful a subject for his dad to talk about. They had no other family, except maybe Gobber who had visited them a few times. But he wasn't really related. Just a very close friend of his dad's. Although he did remember his father mentioning once or twice about a cousin who was a similar age to Hiccup. But that was it. Hiccup found it difficult to comprehend that the very foundation of his being had suddenly been wiped out as a complete and utter lie. He slumped back in his chair, trying to make sense of it all. He'd come to Berk looking for answers, but this was...incomprehensible.

"Is...is there anything else I should know about?" he whispered, frightened of the answer but desiring to know. He _needed_ to know. "I mean...where did we live? Is there something still here of mum's? Or dad's?" he asked hesitantly.

Gobber's face fell as he shook his head, "Nay lad. The house where you lived was burnt completely to the ground shortly after you both left, along with everything in it. Vandals, they said. Pig's bottom, I say. It was on purpose. And your dad agreed at the time, but he didn't have the heart to do anything about it. Not with Valka gone and a young babe to care for."

Gobber spoke softly, "Look lad...I know this has come as a shock, I always thought you knew...but I do have something belonging to your dad. But it's at the shop. Maybe in the morning we can head over, and I'll get it for you?"

Hiccup nodded numbly. "I...I'd like that. I wasn't able to take anything with me after he died. It would be nice to have...something… of my father's."

Gobber leaned towards the disheartened young man, and spoke to him urgently. "Tell me what happened, son. Why are you on the run? I never got the full story...just some cockamamie rubbish that you murdered your own father. I knew that wasn't anywhere near the truth. So...what really happened?"

Hiccup screwed his eyes tight, the terrifying events of that night resurfacing in his thoughts, still fresh. They flashed through his mind as he struggled to put into words the burden he had carried for the last six years. The mystery he still had yet to resolve. The very reason why he was now here...in Berk.

"I was only nineteen," he whispered, more to himself than Gobber. "It was my fault we were there. I'd gotten involved with a girl...stupidly not realising she was using me to get into dad's business... and when he found out what she was up to, he went out to confront a guy named Alvin at an abandoned warehouse. I overheard him talking on the phone, so I followed without him knowing...me and Toothless that is..."

The wolf lifted his head from his position on the floor at the mention of his name, and laid his snout on Hiccup's lap with a gentle snuffle. Hiccup stroked his furry head absentmindedly.

"...We went there but didn't find Alvin. He wasn't even in town, I found out later," Hiccup spat out bitterly. "All part of his plan, apparently...But Dagur was there, and I had the misfortune to run into him first. He tried to kill me, but Toothless wasn't too keen on that idea and attacked him instead." Hiccup gave a wry grunt as he remembered. "He ended up with quite a few injuries courtesy of Toothless. Unfortunately, he gave as good as he got and both Toothless and I ended up with some nasty cuts too. Toothless even sacrificed a few teeth for me, that night, didn't you bud?" Hiccup gave the wolf an affectionate rub.

"What happened then?" prompted Gobber, eager to hear more.

Hiccup continued with a small shake of his shoulder. "Dagur wasn't very quiet about it all, and dad must have heard him from the other side of the warehouse. Me and Toothless had managed to get away from him by then, and we ended up in another section, barely able to keep it together...blood dripping off us everywhere. I remember...I walked into a wide, empty room. I thought I could see something in the shadows but I couldn't really be certain at the time. I soon found out though... I was limping along, trying to find dad and get out...but I made a mistake. I walked straight into the path of this guy ...and saw him raising a pistol with a silencer on it...straight at me. I think I must have yelled at this point... I must have, because how could dad have found me so quickly, you know?"

Hiccup became hesitant with repressed memories all flooding him at once. He licked his dry lips as he struggled to continue. "I heard the safety click...and knew I was a goner...but dad...dad found me...and...and he ..."

Hiccup had to stop as he choked on his tears, trying desperately to push them back. But they refused to go. Gobber gave him a sympathetic pat while he pulled himself together with great difficulty. After a few long moments, Hiccup nodded to indicate he was okay, then continued.

"Yeah...um...dad... he pushed me out of the way...and took the bullet meant for me. He had no chance. He was dead before he hit the ground," he finished, his voice flat and hard, no emotion left for tears anymore.

"Did you see who it was?" asked Gobber, feeling incredibly sad for the loss of his red-haired, giant of a friend, a colossal man in physique and heart...and the son he had loved so very much.

Hiccup shook his head in sorrow. "No, I didn't. He said something at the time...real quiet like...and then he left. I never saw him clearly, only the cape he wore that kept him hidden in the shadows... I've been searching for him ever since. But I haven't even gotten close yet," he told Gobber, the flame of hatred obviously burning brightly within him as he spoke.

"What happened then?" the old man asked.

"I tried to drag myself home, but I ended up collapsing in some alleyway that night, with Toothless beside me. By the time I woke up the next morning, I was already on the police 'Most Wanted' list for the murder of my own father, claiming I had killed him to take over the company."

Hiccup turned to his old mentor, his eyes wide and suspiciously shiny. "I never wanted anything like that...running the company...that was his thing, you know...Why would I want to kill such a great man like him?"

Gobber patted him on the knee. "I know, son. I know. And you've been on the run ever since?"

Hiccup nodded again. "Yeah. They keep sending Dagur after me...and that man is ruthless...I got away from him more times than I care to remember...except for one time."

Gobber was astounded when he saw the young man lift his left knee and let his foot drop heavily onto the ground...and a loud metallic 'clunk' could be heard.

"What tha'?..." he asked, open mouthed.

Hiccup rolled up his pant leg, revealing a metal prosthetic attached below the knee.

"Courtesy of Dagur," Hiccup told him grimly.

-oOo-

The next morning, Hiccup and Gobber were at 'The Forge' bright and early. While Gobber muttered to himself and searched through the endless piles of ledgers and mechanic manuals looking for the item he had promised to the young lad, Hiccup himself was under the hood of his truck. He was taking advantage of the opportunity to make some repairs after Gobber had offered him the use of his tools and any spare parts he happened to have. An opportunity Hiccup was glad to take.

He was still there banging away, when the front door opened, and a feminine voice called out, "Good morning Gobber!"

"Good mornin' lass," the older man returned cheerily from the back room, his head still buried deep in mountains of paper and other items that he had always meant to tidy up, but never did.

Astrid set to work at the front office, sorting out bills and tidying up the mess that Gobber generally left for her each day, despite her attempts to leave the office clean the previous afternoon. She assumed Gobber was working on someone's car as she could hear familiar banging noises, and didn't think any more about it. So she was surprised to hear another voice, a younger male voice by the sound of it.

"Hey Gobber. I've finished for now, so I'm going to head into town and do some research for a bit. Do you want anything?"

"No son. Thanks for the offer. I found that book I was looking for. Here you go, lad. I'm sorry I can't give you more but that's all I have."

There was a pause before the other voice spoke again, more quietly this time. "Thanks Gobber. This means a lot."

"Just take care of it…and yourself….I expect to see you back home for dinner tonight, by the way. You're not going to skip out without telling me first, are you boy."

It was more a command than a question, and Astrid became curious about who the stranger was, and how Gobber knew him. Because he obviously knew him well.

"No promises, but I'll try. I still need to find answers before I go."

"Okay son. You know where to find me."

Astrid's curiosity had already inspired her to head to the workshop out the back to find out the source of the unknown voice, when she heard a car door slam and an old F100 engine turning over and start to rumble. It revved slightly as the driver reversed, before heading down the road. Turning to the window in the front office, Astrid had time to see a motley coloured pickup driving away. She craned her neck to get a better look at the man behind the wheel, but all she could see was a flash of auburn coloured hair before he had gone too far and she could see nothing more.

Just then Gobber reappeared through the door, polishing his hook with an old dirty cloth.

"Gobber…who was that you were talking too?" she asked, unable to contain her curiosity anymore.

He chuckled and was about to answer, when two customers entered the front reception, distracting her. Gobber told her, "I'll tell you later lass. Go serve first," as he indicated to the people out front.

Astrid only huffed slightly in frustration, but planted a welcoming smile on her face before turning to offer her help to the newcomers. And of course, by the time she had pumped their petrol, commiserated with them about their sick relatives, promised to come by for dinner soon, and taken their cash…she had forgotten her question.

-oOo-

Hiccup glanced down at the book on the seat beside him. It was obviously his father's high school yearbook and he was curious about its contents, but he wanted time to go through it carefully. He didn't think there would be anything much in there except a chance to find out a little of his father's younger life…something he knew precious little about. But right now, he needed to find the town library, which Gobber had told him was the place to go for any historical research.

He held up a scrap of paper that contained a roughly drawn map showing points of interest in the town, which Gobber had thought might be of use to him. His first stop was the library. It didn't take long to find, and Hiccup parked the truck out front, asking Toothless once again to stay on guard.

Taking his hat off, Hiccup opened the door to the slightly gloomy building, rows and rows of books and documents all neatly displayed in front of him. There was a young man at the counter, a beefy looking sort of fellow, clean shaven and with short blond hair. Hiccup scrubbed his own stubby whiskers. He made a mental note to shave later.

Approaching the front counter, he respectfully addressed the other man. "Morning, sir."

"Good morning," welcomed the librarian cheerfully. "My name's Fishlegs…not sir. What can I do for you?" he asked politely.

"Ah…okay… Fishlegs…I was wondering if you could help me look up some old articles from about twenty-two years ago?"

"Sure, I can help. Mmmm…..twenty-two years ago, you say. Those articles will all be on the computer. If you come with me, I can set you up with a password, and then help you do your search," he advised with a smile.

Fishlegs led the way to one of the computer booths on the side of the room, but he couldn't help thinking this stranger seemed familiar. He couldn't pin down what exactly made him feel that way, but decided to brush that thought aside for the moment. It would come to him later on anyway. He deftly punched in a few words, then paused as he turned to the stranger expectantly.

"Your name?"

"My name? Why do you need my name?" Hiccup asked cautiously.

Fishlegs indicated towards the computer. "So I can set up a password for you. I need to have your name to do it."

"Oh…okay then. My name's Hiccup," was the response.

"And last name?" Fishlegs inquired again, after tapping on the keyboard.

"Uh….." Hiccup paused. He hadn't been in the habit of revealing his true name for many years now. Kept him a little safer. But here in this town which he had just found out had been his birth town, he felt even less compelled to reveal it. So he gave another answer.

"Ryder."

Fishlegs tapped again. "Okay Mr Ryder. This is your password." He wrote a few characters on a small card. "Whenever you come in here, just use this to log in to the computers, and you're all set to go."

Hiccup nodded as he accepted the card, placing it in his pocket.

Fishlegs turned back to the screen in front of them. "Here's where you search for newspaper articles. Just type in a few key words into these boxes, and all the articles will pop up here," he pointed out the features to Hiccup, who was paying close attention. Standing up to face the stranger, the librarian asked respectfully, "Do you want me to help you find what you're looking for? Or do you think you'll be okay from here?"

Hiccup shook his head, "Thank you kindly ….Fishlegs. But I'll be fine."

The large man nodded. "Okay then. I'll leave you then. You can call me if you need me," he told him before turning back to his desk.

Hiccup sat down and pulled out a large notebook from under his vest. Opening the well-thumbed pages carefully, he turned to the next clean page. Picking up a pen from the table, he wrote in his own bold handwriting, 'Valka Haddock' across the top of the page.

Placing the pen down again, Hiccup turned to the keyboard, his fingers suspended over the top. "Okay computer. Let's see what you got."


	2. Chapter 2

He soon found what he had been looking for. A newspaper article entitled 'Mayor's Wife Missing'.

 _'Last night, Valka Haddock, wife of Stoick Haddock, the Mayor of Berk, was declared missing after an apparent botched home invasion. Mayor Haddock came home from work after receiving a distress call from his wife, but had been delayed and arrived to find his wife already gone. Mayor Haddock had no comment to give, but police have stated that upon entering the scene, they established that Mrs Haddock, who was known in the community as a loyal and fierce protector of her family, had not gone without a fight. At the time of printing, no demand letter had been issued, and the police are still looking for clues as to the current location of Mrs Haddock.'_

Hiccup was confused. Gobber had said that he himself had possibly been the target… he briefly ran a finger over the scar on his chin… yet there was no mention of that in the newspaper article. Why not?

Shaking his head, he turned back to the computer, searching for follow up articles. Surprisingly, he only found one more. He thought this was strange, but read through it anyway. It had been dated about two weeks after Valka's disappearance.

 _'Mayor of Berk Retires'_

 _'Stoick Haddock, Mayor of Berk, announced that as of today he was retiring from politics and moving from Berk. Mayor Haddock cited family concerns as his reason for leaving. Mayor Haddock's wife was reported missing two weeks ago, but no further traces of her have been found. Councillor Jorgensen will be acting Mayor until a formal vote has been held.'_

Hiccup became frustrated that the only two articles he could find held very little information. He tried a whole new range of key words to type into the computer, but nothing further came up.

Standing, he approached Fishlegs at the front desk. The stout man looked up with a well-practiced smile. "Yes sir? Do you need help with something further?" he asked.

Hiccup nodded. "Is there was any other way to research newspaper articles? The computer doesn't seem to have them all," he asked solemnly.

Fishlegs immediately gave an offended frown. "I can assure you, sir, that _all_ the articles are on those computers. I put them there personally myself," he gave the stranger a forced smile as he spoke.

Hiccup sighed heavily in resignation, "And I'm sure you did an excellent job. Thank you for your help." He went back to the computer, to collect his notebook but as he turned to walk out past the front desk, he nearly dropped it when he did a double take in shock. There on the wall above the front doors, proudly sat a painting of a certain large red haired man, with a significant beard to match, in amongst other portraits.

Hiccup raised a slightly shaky finger to point up at the paintings. "Who are all these people?" he asked Fishlegs, who turned to see what he was looking at.

Fishlegs puffed up with pride. "The library houses all the paintings of Berk's Mayors. With the exception of the current one, of course. That one stays in the Council buildings."

"Do…do you know the name of the man in this painting?" Hiccup asked Fishlegs, who turned to see which one he meant.

Fishlegs thought for a moment, "I believe that's Mayor Stoick Haddock. He was Mayor about twenty-ish years ago, I think. He left suddenly and Mayor Jorgensen took over." The stout man pointed a finger to the next painting, which showed a black haired man with a short beard.

Fishlegs turned a curious eye on the newcomer, "Something about Mayor Haddock take your eye?" he asked.

Hiccup glanced quickly over to the librarian. "Umm…he looked a little like my dad… He had the same colour hair," Hiccup finished lamely with a shrug, as the blonde man gave him an appraising stare.

Fishlegs looked the stranger over, taking a closer interest in his appearance. He could see the stranger and the Mayor had similar colouring, but there the resemblance seemed to stop. Maybe that was what made him seem familiar earlier. Fishlegs mentally nodded to himself as he ticked the box beside that question.

"Mayor Stoick was quite a large man, taller and broader than even me…so I've been told," supplied Fishlegs cheerfully.

"Yeah…nothing like me, hey?" Hiccup suggested weakly. He was still shaken up, seeing the actual evidence that Gobber had been telling him the truth…and having it hit home again that he had been living a lie his whole life. He wondered what other family secrets he was going to find out about.

Fishlegs eyed the scruffy man in front of him with a critical eye. He was quite slender despite his tall height…he could look Fishlegs in the eye…but his hard edges and wiry form gave him the appearance of a man with something to hide. Although right now he looked as if he'd seen a ghost. Fishlegs glanced up at the painting again, wondering what had disturbed the stranger so.

"Are you staying in Berk long?" Fishlegs asked curiously.

Hiccup seemed to straighten up at the question, and a shadow closed over his features. "No," he answered shortly.

Fishlegs was naturally an inquisitive man, always searching for answers, but as he opened his mouth to ask for more information, Hiccup interrupted him. "Thank you for your help, but I've gotta go."

And with that, he was gone.

-oOo-

Hiccup let Toothless back into the cab, then slid himself in before dropping his head on the steering wheel. "I nearly dropped the ball in there, Toothless," he moaned to his furry companion. The wolf gave a sympathetic whine, and nudged Hiccup's arm.

"Yeah, I'll be alright," he told Toothless, giving him an affectionate but distracted rub. "Bit much to take in right now." He picked up his hand drawn map of Berk. "Let's go find something to eat instead."

At Hiccup's words, Toothless circled happily on the seat to settle into his usual travelling position, but as he did a book that had been resting there was swept over the edge. It landed with a bump on the floor, just as Hiccup started the engine with a loud rev. As the truck lurched forward, the book then slid graciously under the seat, practically hidden away.

-oOo-

Ruff and Tuff were at the coffee shop arguing with each other…as per normal…when a short, buff man with black hair and a cowboy hat pushed the door open.

"Tuff…leave your sister alone so she can get me some food," he demanded in his loud and obnoxious manner.

The twins turned to glare at the intruder. "Go home and get your own food, Snotlout," Ruff snapped back, standing straight with her arms crossed, and her eyes blazing.

Snotlout merely grinned in an arrogant manner, pulling a plentiful supply of dollars out of his pocket and waving them in front of the slightly entranced Ruff. Her gaze had zeroed in on the cash as soon as it came out of his pocket, and followed it closely as it moved.

She grunted in frustration and rolled her eyes. "What do you want, Snotlout?"

"My usual please," he told her with a smirk, plonking himself down at a table while Ruff walked towards the kitchen, snatching the money from Snotlout's hand as she went past.

Tuff joined him and the black haired man asked, "What were you two fighting over this time, anyway?"

"Astrid," came the unexpected answer.

"Astrid?" said Snotlout in surprise. "What has my beautiful blonde babe got to do with you two? Are you trying to hit on her," he asked, suddenly suspicious of his friends intentions.

Tuff sniggered. "I don't think Astrid received that memo about her being your babe," he countered.

Snotlout sat back confidently. "She'll come to her senses soon. Who else does she have in this town? No one, that's who. She'll realise the Snotman is the one she's been pining for all these years and she'll fall straight into my heavenly arms."

Ruff gagged as she came marching towards them, dropping a cup of coffee on the table in front of him, spilling a little.

"Hey! Watch it," he warned.

Ruff told him with a sneer, "You watch it...Astrid has another option other than your slimy face. Hiccup is the man for her now."

"Hiccup? Who's that? Some nerdy dweeb from out of town? Puh-lease," snorted Snotlout. "I've got it in the bag," he bragged. "No one can match me."

Ruff looked through the glass front of the shop and her face lit up. "We'll soon see about that," she taunted him. "Here comes Hiccup now. You'll soon see...you haven't got a rats chance at a cat show," she sneered.

-oOo-

Meanwhile, Hiccup had parked his truck and exited it, before shoving his hand in his pocket to retrieve a couple of small bills. He recalled Gobber's words when he had handed them to him that morning. Hiccup had protested but Gobber had insisted saying it was about time he lived up to the promise he had made to his father, to look after him when Stoick was no longer able to.

"I haven't got much, Hiccup. But you are welcome to what I have." At the frown that appeared on Hiccup's face, Gobber had tried to reassure him, "It's fine, lad. I'll have some more tomorrow. But you won't."

Hiccup had nodded stiffly at that and kept the money, albeit reluctantly. As he walked towards the coffee shop… with Toothless on guard duty again… Hiccup vowed to himself he would help out Gobber in the mechanics shop later. He figured an extra pair of hands would never be knock backed by the old man.

Pushing open the coffee shop door, Hiccup was surprised to find himself under scrutiny by three sets of eyes…two he already knew, plus another man that he didn't.

"Hey Hiccup!" greeted Tuff cheerfully. Hiccup gave a cursory nod to him as Ruff ambled back to the counter. "What can I getcha?" she asked casually. Hiccup could feel the eyes of the black haired man hitting the back of his head. He ignored him.

"A BLT and a coffee, thanks," he told her, pulling out his small amount of cash.

Ruff winked at him, "You can put that back. It's on the house."

Hiccup shook his head. "Thank you, but I'll pay," he told her firmly.

She disagreed. "Not while you're here in Berk. You keep coming by anytime you like, sweetie, and you can have a free meal on us," she told him, leaning forward to pat his arm and lingering a little longer than necessary as she felt the tight muscles there. She gave an approving hum.

He sighed heavily and pulled his arm away, "I already told Tuff that the meal yesterday was payment in full. I don't expect no charity."

Tuff came over to stand by his sister's side, his grin wide but determined. "You saved my life, man. It may not mean much to anybody else, but I happen to think it's worth more than a measly sandwich. You will eat free. Don't refuse it, or you will offend my honour."

Ruff added, "And messing with a man's honour is a serious thing around here. I'd take the free food if I were you."

The black haired man spoke for the first time, "Pfft! He's just a low-life who wouldn't know the first thing about honour," he said in a condescending voice that grated on Hiccup's nerves.

Hiccup wasn't fond of fighting, but he wasn't afraid of it either. And for some reason unknown to him, this arrogant buffoon seemed to be interested in starting one. He stood back in appraisal of the stocky man, noting the fighters stance and the beefy arms that he was not-so-subtlety flashing towards him. Before he got to say anything though, Tuff stepped in.

"Dude, this man _saved_ me from _four_ , note _four_ , other guys…without me even asking for help. He knows about honour."

Snotlout dismissed him. "Well, I'll believe _that_ when I see it."

Hiccup ignored him and collected the food Ruff had ready for him. He thanked her then headed for a corner booth, but found he had followers on his tail.

Ruff told him, "Don't mind Snotlout. He's just jealous of ya, cause he thinks Astrid might like you more than him."

Hiccup raised his eyebrows at this, but said nothing as he settled in to enjoy his BLT... after first splitting it in half to share with his wolf later.

Snotlout approached them and scowled, "No I'm not….and Astrid _is_ my girl…she won't go for this scrawny red neck…not when she already has all of me," he bragged.

"I'm assuming this Astrid doesn't actually _know_ she's your girlfriend?" Hiccup asked coolly, glancing up from his food.

Ruff cough-snorted, "Got that right," as Snotlout glowered.

"She's my girl…she's always been my girl. She just likes to play hard to get," sulked Snotlout, crossing his arms over his chest with a frown.

Tuff laughed, "You keep telling yourself that, Snotty."

He then ignored the sulking Snotlout and instead spoke enthusiastically to Hiccup. "You wanna come out with me this afternoon and blow up stuff?" Hiccup sat back in surprise but Tuff explained that he worked as a fisherman with his father during the fishing season, but in the off season he was an explosives master extraordinaire...who got bored a lot. And when he did, the old abandoned mines were the perfect place to play as nobody ever went there. Although that might have had something to do with the fact that the mines would regularly explode without warning.

"Uh...maybe another time," Hiccup said vaguely. He sat back and sipped on his coffee as he listened to the three friends mock and tease each other mercilessly and thought maybe they were all a little crazy. Tuff must be if he insisted on wanting to be friends with Hiccup...a man who had no friends and hadn't for a while. It was simply too dangerous. For them.

His eyes hardened and his jaw tightened at the reminder of why he was here...and what he needed to do. Playing with others was a distraction he could not afford right now. He didn't think it would be too long before Dagur found him again. And when he did, Hiccup wanted to be ready with the information he needed to bring down Alvin...and find the man who had killed his father.

Standing abruptly, Hiccup excused himself with a terse, "Thanks for lunch, ma'am…Tuff. I'll take my leave now."

Picking up the left over half-roll, he strode quickly out the door leaving them all staring after him with gaping mouths.

-oOo-

Astrid pulled up outside the coffee shop in her little blue sedan, grimacing as it coughed once again. She sighed as she got out. Gobber kept telling her to put it out of its misery, but she had nothing else to replace her little car with and no money to properly repair it. So Gobber would do what he could to keep it moving for her, but always with a shake of his head.

She heard a familiar roar and looked up in time to see the battered black truck turn the corner and disappear from view. Not thinking too much of it, she headed into the shop, the little bell merrily announcing her arrival as she pushed through the door.

"Astrid! You missed him _again_ ," Ruff immediately complained, when she saw it was her friend coming in.

"Who?" asked a bewildered Astrid.

"Hiccup of course. The man you were supposed to see last night, until they took off for Gobber's," she was advised as Ruff gave her brother an evil stare.

"Hey…" Tuff shrugged, not really caring about his sister's whims. "He wanted to go. Can't pin a man down just so you two can have your fun."

"You could have waited a few more minutes at least," whined Ruff as Astrid switched between the two with one brow raised. Her attention was quickly diverted by Snotlout.

"Pshaw. What's he got that I haven't?" he scoffed.

"Ahh…let's see, shall we?" answered Ruff, counting on her fingers. "Looks…intelligence…street smarts…polite…. mysterious… _humility_ ….shall I go on?"

"Well, I still say Astrid won't go for him. Why would she? No one can resist this…." Snotlout boasted, flexing his bicep.

"Yuck…actually I can…and have… _resisted_ all that…for quite a few years now. And you still haven't figured it out," Astrid told him, one hand on her hip. "This Hiccup fella already has one good thing about him….he's not _you_ ," she countered as the twins sniggered behind their hands and Snotlout humphed, his black bushy brows knitted tightly together.

"And anyway," Astrid continued, with a slight glare towards her female friend. " _I'd_ like to be the one to decide who I like and don't like, thank you! I don't care how perfect he seems, _all_ men hide some kind of major flaw until they think you're hooked. He's probably hiding a dead body somewhere."

"Maybe," shrugged Tuff. "But he's still really cool. I like him."

The argument didn't get any further than that, as Fishlegs excitedly pushed his way into the shop.

"Hey Guys!" he waved. "Guess what?"

"What?" came the chorus.

"No, you have to guess," replied Fishlegs. The others all groaned.

"You're getting married to your books."

"You met Elvis."

"You realised you're a guy."

"You've got fireworks and want me to help you set them up."

All eyes turned to Tuffnut at that one. "What? It could happen."

"Okay…I can see you're not serious about this," huffed Fishlegs.

"We never are," the twins reminded him.

Fishlegs was ready to burst, so he ignored their comments and told them anyway, "There was a stranger in the library today, doing some research."

"Boring," declared Snotlout loudly, rolling his eyes.

Tuff grinned, "Was he a tall, skinny dude with brownish hair?"

"Auburn," corrected his sister. The others looked at her in surprise. "What? A girl notices these things."

Astrid merely shrugged in a 'that's-true' kind of way.

"Yes, he was. How did you know?" asked Fishlegs, turning to Tuff now that they had the colour of the man's hair established.

"Sounds like Hiccup," Tuff nodded to Fishlegs confidently. "Me and him are like this," he boasted, twisting two fingers together and holding them up.

Snotlout scoffed at that and laughed. "You barely know the guy."

Fishlegs ignored him. "He seemed like a friendly type….and smart….didn't say too much though."

Astrid was intrigued. "What was he doing there?" She didn't know too many men who would willingly go to a library. Apart from Fishlegs. But his whole family was freakish like that, so it didn't count. She glanced briefly at Snotlout as a classic example of library-avoidism, but he unfortunately noticed and flexed at her.

"Only nerds go to the library," he mocked. Fishlegs was peeved about that comment, but Snotlout continued, "Muscles are all that count. I know what you like," he winked at her with an inviting leer.

Astrid accepted that invitation…but not in a way he was expecting. She was furious as she approached him and placed her hands on his shoulders. He was surprised but quickly adjusted, his lips attempting to pucker up seductively. Which wasn't what she had in mind. She viciously pushed him backwards till he was half suspended over the back of his seat, fear in his eyes.

"You know _nothing_ about me," she hissed at him with so much venom he should have been in hospital looking for the antidote. "When you can come back with some brains in that empty skull of yours…" she tapped his head for emphasis, "….then we'll talk. Till then…. _stay away_ from me."

She let him go and stormed towards Ruff as Snotlout resettled into his seat to sulk. Fishlegs continued as if nothing had happened. It wasn't an unusual situation after all. This kind of scenario was also one of the reasons Astrid had sworn off men.

"He wanted to look up newspaper articles from about twenty-two years ago," Fishlegs said thoughtfully. "I don't know what for. But you know what was really strange?…was how he reacted to the painting of Mayor Stoick. He looked like he'd seen a ghost. I tried to ask him about it, but he left straight away."

Astrid was thinking deeply. Who was this man, really? She hadn't even met him yet, but he was already piquing her interest. Ruff thought he was attractive, Snotlout felt threatened by him, Tuff worshipped him because of his strength and valour….and Fishlegs thought he was intelligent. And he had some kind of a hidden past.

"Why Mayor Stoick," she wondered out loud.

"Why not? I heard he killed his wife for the insurance, and then skipped town," suggested Tuff.

"Nah," added his sister. "Everyone knows he was cheating on his wife, so she burnt the house down and left him."

"Really?" joined in Snotlout. "I thought he burnt the house to get rid of her body."

Astrid scoffed at the wild accusations. "You lot will believe anything. Maybe he didn't like Berk anymore and decided to leave. Did you ever think of that?"

The others all stared at her in horror. "Leave Berk?" Fishlegs was aghast at the suggestion.

Astrid threw her hands up in frustration. "Urgh! You lot are hopeless. What's wrong with wanting to leave Berk? To go explore the world. Find new places. Find new _friends,_ " she argued.

It was perfectly reasonable to her. She was restless in Berk. There was nothing here to keep her. And a whole lot of stuff to annoy her. As soon as she'd hit puberty and become recognized as Berk's most beautiful teenager, then young woman, she'd had nothing but trouble. Every low life in the district had hit on her, wanting the distinction of being 'the one' who had made Astrid swoon.

But she was having none of it, and fought tooth and nail to keep them all at bay. She would have left years ago if she could have afforded it, and although she was saving like crazy from the small wage Gobber was able to pay her each week, it would be a while yet before she could go. And Astrid was very worried that she might crack under the pressure before then, and end up married to some slobbering wanna-be romeo, pumping out her two point five quota of kids, and slowing dying in domesticated bliss.

Astrid's thoughts turned to the stranger. She envied him…being able to come and go as he pleased. No cares in the world, nothing to tie him down. Able to see everything, go anywhere. Do whatever he wanted…..

-oOo-

Meanwhile, the supposedly care-free and untroubled stranger, was anything but. He was on a mission as he headed outside of Berk, towards some woods in the hills that he had noticed on his drive in the day before. Parking the truck well out of the way of prying eyes, he slid out of the cab with Toothless hot on his heels. This was the type of territory the black wolf knew, and he was keen to make use of every part of it, melting away between the trees. Hiccup casually stripped off his shirt and tossed it in the cab of his Ford, the defined muscles underneath clearly visible. The scars across his chest and back revealed a life hard lived. He unlocked a metal box in the tray and pulled out a heavy axe. Slinging it over his shoulder as if it was made of bamboo, he sauntered towards the woods with a confident stride and soon disappeared from view.

-oOo-

It was some time later before man and beast returned. Sweat was dripping from Hiccup's face and down his chest. His hair was darkened with it and he'd added a layer of dirt along with some fresh grazes to his body and arms. As soon as he reached the truck, he placed the axe back in the locked box, then grabbed a bowl and water bottle from the cab. Placing the bowl on the ground, he filled it for the appreciative wolf who lapped it up greedily. Once Hiccup was satisfied his canine friend had his fill, only then did he slake his own thirst, tipping his head back and guzzling it down in one easy motion. He drained every last drop, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes dark and hard. He was panting slightly from his exertions, but he had more to do yet. Grabbing an old towel out of the tool box, he roughly wiped himself down before tossing it, then sliding his shirt back over his head. Picking up the bowl, he motioned for Toothless to enter the cab, then easily swung in himself. The old truck started with a roar, and the duo headed back to Berk.

The afternoon shadows were already beginning to lengthen by the time Hiccup arrived at an empty plot of land towards one end of town. He checked the hand drawn map Gobber had supplied, then double checked before deciding this was where he was meant to be. Getting out of the cab, Hiccup paused to take stock of his surroundings. Houses and a smattering of shops were on either side of the vacant lot, which looked as if it had been designated as an unofficial park. He noted a few hastily placed old seats amongst the few trees that grew there. Toothless headed off to sniff around as Hiccup located a chair that was off to one side and partially hidden.

Sitting down, he thought about what this place would have looked like twenty-two years ago. Back then, a house stood on this very site…his house. Hiccup found he couldn't remember anything about Berk…but he guessed that wasn't unusual, seeing as he was only three years old at the time. Looking down the street, he noted the Council Chambers roughly about five houses down on the other side of the road, within easy walking distance. Gobber had told him the building was the same one that his father had worked in, and it was still operating today for the same purpose.

Something struck Hiccup as odd about this situation. He recalled the newspaper article stating that Stoick had been delayed after he had received a call from his wife, and that she had disappeared by the time he arrived. The Council building was literally only a few minutes' walk away, even less for a frantic husband and father. What was it that had delayed him long enough for Valka to be snatched away…from right across the street? Hiccup shook his head. It all sounded so very suspicious, and the only person who knew the truth, was no longer able to tell any story.

Getting up, Hiccup walked down the street towards the Chambers, his eyes scanning restlessly for any threats. He hadn't survived this long without being cautious. Toothless slunk alongside him, darting in and out of the shadows. Crossing over the road, Hiccup paused at the side of the building, Toothless once again hidden from view. It was a natural act of stealth for the wolf…one that Hiccup had reinforced for two reasons. The first being that people often reacted negatively to a large black wolf strolling down the street. The second being Hiccup was less conspicuous and therefore less of a target without him by his side. It also gave him the advantage of surprise when he needed it.

Hiccup stared at the building, imagining in his mind's eye the vast bulk of his father standing here, reigning over the small township of Berk. He thought perhaps his dad would have been a great Mayor, knowing how much he had cared for his employees in his engineering business. Hiccup fell into a melancholy mood, and he allowed himself a moment to feel sorry for the loss he had suffered. But that moment was disturbed by an unwelcome visitor, a cantankerous old man who had emerged from the Council chambers door and for reasons only known to himself, felt as if he needed to attack Hiccup.

"Whatcha doing there, boy? You're not from around here, are you? Speak up, you ignorant boy," he snarled. Hiccup was taken aback by the sudden ferocity, but still had the sense to respond calmly.

"No sir, I only arrived yesterday," he politely replied, although Hiccup could feel his fists clenching tightly.

"Well, you can clear off! Your filthy types are not wanted around here… you bring nothin' but trouble to our town. You hear me, boy? Make sure you're gone by the morning, or I'll have the police run you out of town," the man threatened, as he waved his fist at the young man.

Hiccup's eyes narrowed as he sensed Toothless moving in on the man who was yelling at him. The wolf was very protective, and Hiccup knew if he let him, the wolf would likely go for the kill. He'd done it before. But as much as Hiccup felt the urge to let the wolf follow his instincts, he knew that was a fast track to trouble, so he gave the signal for the wolf to stand down. Hiccup saw Toothless slink back into the shadows, the old man none the wiser for his close call.

"Mildew! What are you doing?" came another male voice, scandalized at what he had just witnessed. Hiccup looked past the old man now identified as something rotten and mouldy…seemed appropriate… and saw a larger man who looked very similar to the husky lad he had met in the library.

"Mayor Ingerman….I was taking the opportunity to remind this…. _stray_ …here, that we do not tolerate vagrants in our town," the mouldy man snivelled at him.

The Mayor was aghast. "Mildew, we do _not_ treat our guests in this rude fashion. And I can assure you, the only vagrant I would want to remove is the unpleasant one in front of me right now," he stated firmly, his eyes clearly locked on the old man.

Mildew grumbled and gave a shifty eyed glare at the lad before proclaiming, "Mark my words…you let riff raff like him into Berk, and you'll soon regret it." He emphatically stabbed the air in the direction of Hiccup before sloping off down the street, muttering darkly to himself as he went.

Hiccup turned his attention back to the Mayor who sighed heavily. "I'm sorry about that, lad. Berk is normally a friendly place to visit… old Mildew is the only exception. He hates anybody and anything that doesn't fit in with his own agenda. I hope you won't judge us all by him," the older man said kindly.

Hiccup shook his head. "Thank you Mayor. Don't worry, I know his type. Walk around with a stick up their…."

"Umm….yeah…" interrupted Mayor Ingerman. "Anyway, here's my card. If you ever need anything while you're here…let me know," he offered. Hiccup took the card and pocketed it.

"Thanks, I appreciate that."

The round faced Mayor looked at Hiccup curiously. "You look familiar. Do I know you?"

"No, I don't think so."

Mayor Ingerman pursed his lips, "Hmm….I've been Mayor for twenty years. Know just about anyone connected to Berk. Have you been here before?"

Hiccup shook his head. "I don't recollect ever being here before," he truthfully told the larger man.

The Mayor nodded, "Okay then lad. I'm sure it will come to me later. Sorry to have taken up your time."

"Not at all," said Hiccup as the Mayor went to move on. Hiccup also decided to leave and headed back to the truck. But before he reached it, who should arrive up the street but Tuffnut himself.

"Hey Hiccup!" he called out, waving his arm at the auburn haired man, who heaved a small sigh at Tuff's persistence.

"Tuff," he acknowledged with a small nod.

"Ruff and I were having mutton stew tonight? Wanna come over?" Tuff asked cheerfully.

Hiccup shook his head. "Thanks, but no thanks. I need to find a place to get a drink tonight. I'm not in the mood to be sociable," he warned.

Tuff shrugged. "Suit yourself. There's only one bar in town, 'The Outcasts'. I wouldn't recommend going to it though …a few shady characters like to hang out there."

"Good," said Hiccup abruptly. "I'll be in the right place, then."

"Uh….okay," Tuff hesitated, giving Hiccup a strange look.

"Thanks for the tip, but I've got to go," Hiccup excused himself, as Toothless emerged from the shadows to trot up beside Hiccup, who automatically reached down to stroke the furry head beside him.

"Hey, Toothless," greeted Tuff, still a little nervous around the large animal. He hadn't seen the wolf hiding and was surprised when he had suddenly appeared.

Hiccup gave a flick of his fingers as a 'bye' to Tuff, before the two odd friends left him standing in the street.

-oOo-

Gobber was more than happy with Hiccup's offer to help with work at the garage. "You can start with that one over there," he had pointed to a small blue sedan, which had obviously seen better days. "See if you can do anything with that, can ya?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow but set to work straight away, taking off his shirt, and putting on an old pair of overalls that were about three sizes too big, to protect his jeans. He didn't have many clothes, so tried to keep his meagre collection as clean as possible.

Hiccup had been working solidly for nearly four hours, when Astrid walked out to the workshop and called to her boss. "Gobber, I have to go home now. Is my car ready?" she asked as she casually searched the room and saw a pair of legs sticking out from under a dirty yellow station wagon.

"Yeah," Gobber called back cheerily. "Good to go. See you in the morning," he told her as he walked out from the storeroom. Turning back to the legs with a small frown, she had to wonder if the infamous Hiccup was attached to the other end. Shaking her head slightly, she decided she didn't really care and left the shop.

Jumping in behind the wheel of her little sedan, she turned the key, and exclaimed in surprise, "Woah, Gobber! What did you do? My girl has never sounded so good, or so smooth." Astrid's smile swept across her face, "Nice," She patted the steering wheel affectionately, "I knew you could do it, Stormfly. Back to full power."

-oOo-

Later that evening, Hiccup left Gobber's house after a shower and a simple meal… bachelor living didn't require fine cuisine…and headed out for 'The Outcasts'.

He had business to attend to.

Finding the place, he parked the truck and got out. "Toothless…stay here please. Don't need you scaring off my prospects," he told the wolf, who obediently jumped in the tray and settled down. But Toothless was still on high alert. Places like these made him highly agitated, and he was always extra vigilant about Hiccup's safety. He'd had to rescue him before.

Hiccup gave the black wolf a scrub around his ears, before scanning around him and heading off down a dark alleyway beside the building. As soon as he disappeared round the corner, a deep voice could be heard, "Are you alone?"

"Yeah," came back Hiccup darkly. "What do you have for me?"

A rustle of papers than a pause as Hiccup checked over what had been handed to him.

"Blast!…. This is bad….. How long?"

"Maybe a few days at the most. I'd get what you came for and high tail it out of here, if I were you," came the other man's recommendation.

"Thanks, I intend to."

A scrape on the ground indicated business was over as Hiccup emerged from the shadows. But he only had one foot out, when the other voice called him back. "Hiccup….take care out there….I mean it."

Hiccup's voice was harsh as he answered, "I've come too far to stop now. Toothless and I have it covered."

-oOo-

Entering the dingy saloon, Hiccup's mood was foul. Other patrons could see he was not a man to be messed with, and left him alone.

Pulling up a stool at the bar, he called over the bartender.

"Give me a whiskey…and keep them coming."

-oOo-

Astrid was sighing in frustration. She'd had a long day, she still had work tomorrow….and all she wanted to do right now was get in the bath and have a long soak in the tub with some bubbles, her favourite music, and perhaps a glass of wine… or two. But Ruff was on the phone, demanding she come for a night out with her.

"Why?" Astrid demanded, as her dreams of a night in popped along with her bath bubbles. She knew when Ruff had her mind set on something, it was easier to give in and do it rather than fight it.

"Because we deserve it… plus you've been moping around for far too long now. Time to have some fun for a change."

Astrid shook her head at the phone, "Ruff, I've got work tomorrow. I can't be out all night."

"Oh puh-lease… you can do that job in your sleep. Anyway… we won't be out all night… just long enough to let loose a little, have some fun, do some dancing…. all that stuff we used to do before you became stiff and uptight," the other girl told her bluntly.

"I am not stiff and uptight," denied Astrid hotly.

"Really?" asked Ruff in a way that made Astrid pause and think. Okay, it had been a while since they had done anything fun together, but that didn't make her uptight. Did it?

"See?" stated Ruff, as if she knew what Astrid was thinking. Which Astrid was sure she could. "Come on… it's just one night. What harm can that do? And you might even have fun," cajoled Ruffnut. "Snotlout's got a family dinner, so he won't be anywhere near the place…for the whole night," she wheedled.

Astrid sighed in defeat, "Okay. Give me twenty minutes to get ready."

"That's my girl!" crowed Ruff triumphantly.

-oOo-

Twenty minutes later was a whole other story, as the two girls were standing outside 'The Outcasts' and Ruff revealed her true reason for getting Astrid there. Hiccup was inside.

"No, no, no, no, no!" yelled Astrid. "What part of 'NO, I don't want to meet the guy' don't you understand?"

"You _have_ to meet him, Astrid. This guy is _hot_ with a capital H.O.T." Ruff grinned, dragging her reluctant friend along with her. "He's got that 'lonesome cowboy' thing going on that you just can't leave alone."

Astrid rolled her eyes as she allowed the other woman to guide her towards the seedy joint that served as the town's only source of after dark entertainment and alcohol supply.

"Whatever Ruff. I'm still not interested. I've had more than my fair share of low-lifes who are only interested in what's below my neck...not above it," she droned.

"This guy's different," Ruff insisted, puffing slightly as she had to work hard to drag the unwilling blonde along. "He's friends with Tuff...and Tuff doesn't hang with losers."

"He hangs with Snotlout," Astrid reminded her drily.

"Yeah...well...a man's gotta make at least _one_ mistake," admitted Ruff, still determined in her quest to get the two lonely hearts together.

She stopped tugging and paused to turn to her friend outside the bar door. She gently took hold of Astrid's arms and spoke to her sincerely. "Something tells me the two of you have more in common than you realise. Just...give him a chance, okay?"

Astrid sighed heavily and shook her head. She knew this wasn't a good idea, but didn't want to shunt her friend. "Okay. Look, I'll come in and meet the guy. But I'm not making any promises...and I'm not shacking up with him," she warned.

Ruff grinned. "Good enough for me. Now, let's get in there," she told her as she pushed her friend through the door.

They stepped inside and were immediately accosted by the old smoke and alcohol smell that always made Astrid gag. The room was not that big, and definitely not clean. She usually did her best to avoid the place...except on occasions like tonight, when she was dragged here against her will by her less troubled wiry friend.

She paused for a moment to adjust to the dim lighting, and searched around the room. Her eyes were immediately drawn to a tall, thin figure sitting morosely at the bar, his hands wrapped around a glass of something alcoholic. She guessed that this was the man in question, and she gasped as she took note of just how striking he was. Even at this distance she could see the muscle definition under his green t-shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal a little more. The longish shaggy auburn hair did nothing to hide the stubble covering that sharp jaw or the pleasing shape to his brow.

Ruff smirked as she watched Astrid's reaction to Hiccup. She was hooked already, she could tell. Now if she could only get her brain to accept that fact, they would be on a winner.

The stranger seemed to have some sort of sixth sense, as he turned and looked in their direction. He stared briefly at Astrid before his gaze flicked over to Ruff, with a slightly annoyed expression. Ruff put her hand up in a small wave. "Hey, Hiccup. How are you, man?" she asked cheerily.

He turned back to his drink, lifting it in the air. "Fine," he told her shortly, then put the glass to his lips.

Astrid was mesmerized as she watched his head tilt back slightly to drink.

Ruff dragged the blonde girl over in dogged determination, planting herself beside Hiccup. "Tuff told me you'd be here," she informed him.

He spared Ruff a brief glance, before his attention once again was taken up by the half empty glass twirling in his hands.

"Did he now?" he responded drily.

"Yeah...I've got someone I'd like you to meet," Ruff told him, ignoring the fact that he was obviously not in a talkative mood tonight.

Ruff subtly pushed the slightly shocked blonde towards him.

"This is Astrid," Ruff introduced her friend to Hiccup. He turned and appraised the sullen woman silently, glancing down and then back up to her fiery blue eyes before turning once again to his drink.

"See something you like?" the blonde asked him in a low irritated tone, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't greatly appreciate the way he had checked her out…just like all the others, she decided grimly. Although other men hadn't turned away from her before.

His cool green gaze flicked back to hers. "Too much trouble," he told her flatly. He pointedly turned his gaze and body away from her. Not too much. Just enough to let her know she'd been dismissed.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she spat at him, his total indifference inflaming her ire, although she wasn't really sure why. She hadn't wanted to be anywhere near him to start with.

"Just that," he told her quietly, his green gaze too intense for her liking. She felt like the room was suddenly too hot, and she was somehow playing with fire.

He flicked his gaze over her again, "Hot tempered, chip on your shoulder the size of the Archipelago, trust issues and a daddy's girl. Too much trouble," he reaffirmed, as he stared her down.

Astrid lifted her chin in indignation and her cheeks flamed red at the curt summation of her character.

She tossed her too long fringe to one side. "You seem to be assuming that I have some kind of _interest_ in you," she growled defensively.

He arched an eyebrow at her, and she found herself blushing as her body betrayed the fact that she _did_ find him interesting. And what was more mortifying, was that he _knew_.

He stood up quickly in front of her, causing her to jolt slightly as he caught her unprepared. But she refused to budge, and she stubbornly held her ground, her chin raised defiantly at him, her eyes blazing.

Hiccup took a step forward, placing himself way too close in front of her. She watched cautiously as his eyes darkened and his jaw tightened. He lifted one hand and firmly gripped under her chin. Her eyes widened and her breath hitched as he lowered his face, and his lips pressed hard upon hers. His mouth moved expertly over hers, and she found herself responding to his magnetic touch, even as her mind berated her for allowing him to get so close. But it was he that pulled away first, his eyes glinting dangerously as Astrid stared at him, slightly breathless and already wanting to drag him back to her mouth. At the same time her mind was screaming 'payback' for the unexpected assault on her tingling lips.

He sat back down, picking up his glass and raising it to her while a small smirk danced on that irritatingly divine mouth. "Too much trouble," he confirmed, taking a swig.

Astrid snapped out of her trance, "Why, you little...son of a half troll," she yelled, launching herself at him and ready to strike. But she was blown away by his speed when he rose quickly from his seat and grabbed her fist, swiftly spinning her around and pulling her wrist up behind her back with one hand, the other arm wrapped across her midriff and slamming her back up against his chest, winding her. His breath was warm and whiskey flavoured as he murmured darkly beside her ear, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. You might not like the end result," he warned in a low tone.

Astrid found herself shivering at the hardness of the muscled chest behind her, before he released her just as quickly. She spun around again, but this time backed up warily, rubbing her aching wrist where he had grabbed her with an iron grip.

She kept her eyes on him, as she hissed to her surprised friend, "Time to go, Ruff. Nothing to see here...nothing at all."

When she felt far enough away to be safe, she turned and practically ran out of the door, Ruff cackling along behind her.

When they had made it safely to the other side, Astrid angrily turned on Ruff. "I don't ever want to have anything more to do with that...that..." she stuttered.

"Hottie?" suggested Ruff with a victorious grin. "Hunk? Beefcake? Dreamboat? Shall I go on?"

 _"NO_!" yelled Astrid, her fists clenched tight in her confusion and anger. She couldn't understand why she was so flustered over him. Hiccup was the most arrogant, obnoxious, contemptuous, conceited, overbearing man she'd ever had the misfortune to meet. And she wanted him. Badly.


	3. Chapter 3

"CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!"

Hiccup sat bolt upright off the couch in shock at the sudden noise, which turned out to be Gobber rattling a spanner inside a piston head…right beside his ear.

"GOBBER!...Oww… " Hiccup complained, swinging his legs over the side and cradling his sore head in his hands.

"MORNIN' SUNSHINE!" Gobber bellowed, an evil grin plastered across his face.

Hiccup groaned. "Is this absolutely necessary?" he questioned painfully, feeling as if there was a hammer inside his skull belting out a conga beat.

"YES!" yelled Gobber, as Hiccup cringed. He opened one eye and turned hopefully to the wolf at his feet.

"Bite him, Toothless."

The black wolf gave him an 'oh really?' look.

"At least nibble his toe?"

Gobber laughed as Toothless yawned instead.

Hiccup sighed, "Great…I'm being mocked by a wolf. Thanks for nothing, you useless canine."

"Heavy night on the sauce, hey Hiccup?" asked Gobber cheerfully.

Hiccup nodded then immediately regretted it as the room started to sway in time with the conga beat.

"Murder on the head, isn't it?" sung out Gobber, as he rattled around in the kitchen preparing a bucket load of coffee. At least, that's what Hiccup hoped he was doing.

"Yes," grumbled Hiccup. "So can you please keep it down?"

Gobber smirked, banging the cups on the benchtop a little harder than necessary. "I could…but this is much more fun."

"You know…this right here…is why I haven't come back to see you," Hiccup muttered.

"I don't think you should be playing with sarcasm at the moment…you'll cause yourself an injury," came the dry response.

Hiccup only laid back against the couch. "Let me die right now…and put me out of my misery," he mumbled.

"So….did you do anything stupid last night?" asked Gobber, the smell of bacon and eggs frying wafting towards Hiccup's appreciative nose.

"What would be the point of drinking to forget, if I'm forced to remember it the next morning?" groused Hiccup.

"The answer would be yes, then," suggested Gobber with a raised eyebrow.

There was a pause before Hiccup told his mentor, "I was drunk and in a foul mood…and in comes Ruff dragging Astrid over like some kind of amazing angel…and literally pushes us together. I said no…."

Gobber raised the other eyebrow. "You said no? To Astrid?"

"Well…it was more along the lines of, 'too much trouble'."

Gobber laughed. "I can't imagine that went down too well."

Hiccup grinned ruefully. "No, it didn't…Anyway, before I know it, I'm kissing Astrid…"

"Wait a minute.." interrupted Gobber incredulously. "You kissed Astrid? And your head is still attached to your shoulders?"

"She tried to remove it," he admitted guiltily, remembering all too clearly what had happened. He hadn't been that drunk at the time.

"So…what do yah think of our fiery shield maiden?" asked Gobber, wriggling his eyebrows as he handed a hot cup of coffee to Hiccup, along with a plate of greasy bacon and eggs. Toothless immediately sidled over to Hiccup's knee, eyes keenly attached to the bacon.

Hiccup gave his wolf a piece before answering. "It doesn't matter what I think…any kind of friendship with me is a death wish." He sighed, "I don't understand these guys, Gobber…Tuff keeps wanting to be my friend… him and his crazy sister. Now Astrid. Although she's probably not my biggest fan at the moment….I'm not exactly encouraging them."

"They can see that yer a good man, Hiccup."

Hiccup shook his head, "I'm not, Gobber. And if Dagur believes I care about them at all, he will hurt them and show no mercy. I don't want that….I already have enough deaths on my conscience."

"Yer mentioned this before. Care to share?" asked Gobber, settling into a chair opposite Hiccup…and immediately finding a black snout hanging off his knee. The old man glanced down at Toothless. "Don't you pull those puppy eyes on me, ya sly wolf," he warned. Toothless didn't move, but kept staring up at him. "Oh…what the heck. I can'na resist that look. Here…" he gave Toothless a piece of his bacon. "Now begone with ya." He waved the wolf away, who promptly laid down on the floor with his prize, chewing carefully.

Hiccup sighed heavily. "A couple of years ago….there was a kid…Gustav was his name…he was only eighteen at the time. He kept showing up, and acting like I was his big brother or something. Anyway, we hit it off and I ended up telling him what was happening."

Hiccup groaned in real pain at the memory. "I should never have done it, Gobber... He decided he wanted to help, so one night he went on a little mission…unbeknownst to me at the time…to get close to Dagur and get some information. But Dagur had been on to him the whole time. Long story, short….I went in to find him and bring him back, but Dagur killed him…right there in front of me. And I could do nothing about it….Nothing." Hiccup hung his head in shame and distress at the memory. "Then he taunted me, saying I would never have any friends, because he'd always find them….He didn't even bother to do anything to me that night. There was no need."

Gobber gave Hiccup a sympathetic look as the tortured young man gazed off into the distance, nightmares of the past the only thing he could see. He shook his head to clear his vision. "That's why I don't want anyone as friends," he finished, turning his troubled green eyes towards the one person he knew he could trust.

Gobber was firm. "Then we'd better fix this problem. Permanently. But you can't do it on your own." Hiccup went to interrupt but the old man beat him to it. "I know these kids, Hiccup. They're all crazy…but they might be the ones to help you… Just think about it, alright?"

The young man said nothing, only giving a pensive frown to his host.

Gobber got up off his chair, and limped over to Hiccup to grab his empty plate. "Come on now lad. I'm double booked this morning, so you have to get your rear end off my couch and go to work to pay for your breakfast….But you have to do the washing up first," he told him gleefully. He was rewarded with a dejected groan.

-oOo-

Later that morning, Hiccup still wasn't feeling the best, but at least the hammer in his head had dropped from a conga beat down to a slow waltz. He knew he wouldn't be getting any sympathy from Gobber. But what had Hiccup cringing the most was the fact that at some point he was going to have to face an extremely fired up Astrid. They were both working under Gobber's roof after all.

Hiccup sighed as he pulled up outside the mechanics shop. This was not going to end well at all, he thought to himself. But maybe that was a good thing. He did tell Gobber that he was trying to keep everyone at arm's length. Maybe they'd all be disgusted by his actions and leave him alone now.

But he still couldn't help thinking about Astrid. Of course, he'd been listening when the others had spoken about her. For some reason, Ruffnut was keen on getting the two of them together, and when he saw her for the first time last night… he hadn't been disappointed. But he had seen straight away she was a serious girl, not one interested in a casual fling. And that made her dangerous to him. Especially as he'd already noted the spark of interest in her eyes.

Hiccup wasn't sure what had possessed him to kiss her like he had, but the memory of her lips on his would probably keep him warm at night for a while to come. And he had been the one to pull away first. Not her. Which only made this all a lot harder. In another life, maybe they could have been friends….maybe even lovers….but not in this one.

Hiccup sighed. No point moping. He got out of the truck and squared off his shoulders. Time to get this over with.

-oOo-

Astrid was already at work behind the counter, writing out orders and giving her best fake smile to the small stream of customers that seemed to be flowing in this morning. To all appearances she was pleasant and efficient as usual. But inside…she was seething. She'd been made to feel a fool last night…and Astrid Hofferson was no fool. And on top of that, she had been instantly attracted to him. Something which she couldn't understand, and it bothered her. Yeah, sure, he was good looking... if you like those unassuming, mysterious, lone cowboy types. And the way he stood up to her and effortlessly blocked her attack…she rubbed her wrist in remembrance…was not something she was used to. But that kiss…..was something else entirely.

She touched her lips softly, retracing where he had been. She hadn't even tried to stop him. Even now, she could feel her heart rate lifting a little as she recalled the moment oh so very clearly. What would have happened if he hadn't pulled away? She couldn't honestly answer that one. This was an entirely new sensation, and she didn't know what to do about it. Not yet anyway.

But then he'd gone and rejected her. Her. As in the Astrid Hofferson. The maiden that all the single men…and the occasional married one….in Berk, had attempted to woo at one point or another. But she had rejected all of them. She could have them all at her beck and call if she so wanted. Not that she did. And the one man she had felt an attraction to…had told her she wasn't worth it. Astrid sneered to herself. The flame of desire was strong…but the sting of her wounded pride was even stronger.

Just then, she heard Hiccup entering the workshop out the back, giving a soft greeting to their boss.

"Bout time you showed your scruffy face around here," bellowed the old man.

"Gobber….not so loud," groaned Hiccup.

Astrid smirked to herself. He had a hangover did he? Well, his day was about to get a whole lot worse.

Gobber left shortly afterwards to get some items he needed in town. Astrid took her chance. There were no more customers for the time being, so she stepped silently towards the work shop. At the doorway she paused, taking in the scene. Hiccup had stripped off his shirt and was dressed in a pair of worn jeans with a large belt sitting low on his hips. He was already working up a sweat…or sweating off a nights worth of alcohol….and she had to admit he looked mighty fine as he bent over an engine, his grease covered arm stuck deep in the bowels of a diesel motor.

Striding over to stand beside him, she crossed her arms and yelled, "HICCUP!"

If she hadn't been so intent on causing him harm, the sight of him jumping out of his skin in fright, then dropping the spanner he was using with a clang, would have sent her into delighted fits of laughter. As it was, she still gave a satisfied smirk. He gave her a guilty look as he placed one hand onto his aching head, "Astrid…uh…how are you?" he asked nervously, which set her back a bit. Nervous was not something she would have expected from him.

She didn't let that prevent her from giving him a filthy look. "I don't know what kind of stunt you think you were trying to pull last night…" she hissed at him, making him cringe. "…but that's not how we do things in Berk."

He put out a hand in apology, "Look, Astrid. I'm sorry about last night…but you have to understand…"

He didn't get a chance to finish as she angrily interrupted, "I don't even want to hear it. You need to keep right away from me, do you understand? I find you contemptible," she spat at him.

That may have been the wrong thing to say, as his apologetic manner changed to a much darker one. He stood up straight and looked down at her, his jaw tight. "That's not what your mouth was telling me last night," he reminded her in a low voice, taking a half step towards her. "In fact, I'm pretty sure your lips were inviting me in for more."

Astrid's breath hitched and her eyes grew wide, but she stood her ground. "That was just your ego," she told him, cursing the small waver that she heard in her voice. "You seem to think you can do whatever you want with any woman that crosses your path," she tossed at him, unfairly.

A flash of irritation crossed over his eyes. "I can assure you, that's not true," he defended. "Look…I don't want to fight you…I was drunk and had received bad news…it should never have happened," he told her roughly.

"Is that supposed to be an excuse? That you were drunk? Do you think that's all you have to say, and I'll forgive you? What kind of a woman do you think I am?" she bit back.

His eyes narrowed, and he took another step closer. "A pretty uptight one, from where I'm standing," he told her roughly. "Maybe you need to be kissed more often, so you learn how to relax."

Astrid couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her eyes almost bulged as she yelled, "WHAT?"

"You heard me," he challenged. "Didn't think you had a hearing problem."

"I am not uptight," she pushed out through clenched teeth. "You're just some egocentric, impulsive, despicable free loader come to cause trouble."

He was suddenly too close, "You sure you want to go there?" he asked her, his voice so low she almost tripped over it. His eyes glittered a dark green, and she couldn't for the life of her pull away from him where he stood only inches away.

"Why? You gonna kiss me again?" she stared up at him defiantly, her blue eyes blazing with fire and determination. She was not going to back down.

"If that's what it takes," he murmured, so close she could feel his breath on her cheek. Astrid was finding it difficult to stay focused with a naked, sweaty chest right in front of her.

"I wouldn't kiss you if you were the last man on this earth," she fired off at him, although there was a definite wobble in her words.

"Do you want to test that theory?" he challenged, his eyes glinting darkly.

It was at that precise moment that Gobber chose to reappear. "Oi! No shenanigans in my shop," he called out, instantly causing the two protagonists to split apart with guilty looks on their faces.

Astrid immediately turned tail and raced back to the front counter, her cheeks flaming red.

Hiccup turned to Gobber with a wry grin. "Great timing, Gobber."

"Aye. You two looked like you could do with an ice cold bucket of water, there was plenty of heat coming from that little display."

Hiccup rubbed his hands through his hair in agitation. "Sorry about that…but she came out with all guns blazing and I…"

"…thought the only way to solve it was to stick your tongue down her throat," Gobber finished coarsely.

"It wasn't quite like that," grumbled Hiccup, heading back to the car he had been working on.

"Oh?" queried Gobber with an eyebrow raised. "What was it then? A quiet chat over a cup of tea and cucumber sandwiches?"

"No," admitted Hiccup reluctantly.

The old man hobbled over and laid his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Listen lad, I'm not blind. I can see you two have something going on. But I've got to warn you…don't mess with her heart, Hiccup. She's had far too many disappointments…and I'd hate to see either of you get hurt. Just…make sure you do the right thing. Okay?"

Hiccup shrugged bitterly. "Sure, Gobber. As soon as I figure out what the right thing is,"

Gobber gazed at the boy sadly, "That's all I ask."

-oOo-

Astrid was getting ready to head into town for lunch as she normally did. After their little 'session' that morning, the two young people had deliberately avoided going anywhere near the other, much to Gobber's annoyance.

She hollered out, "Bye Gobber. I'm heading out for lunch."

Normally Gobber would yell 'Righto', but today was different. "Wait up a minute, Astrid," he called back. She paused as he hobbled over. "Walk with me," he told her firmly, heading out towards her car. She raised an eyebrow at this but said nothing, merely falling into step beside him.

"Now lass, I know I interrupted you and Hiccup this morning…." he began abruptly.

"Gobber…." she tried to interrupt but he held up his hand.

"I'll be brief, so hear me out. Alright?"

She hesitated but nodded her agreement.

"Hiccup is a good lad, Astrid. But he's gotten involved in some…unfortunate business that's not of his doing….I won't go into details. That's not my story to tell…But he doesn't want anybody else to get caught up in it, so he pushes everyone away."

"Well, I don't think you have to worry about me. The less I have to do with him, the better," Astrid told him bitterly.

Gobber raised an eyebrow at her. "Do ya think I came down in the last shower? I saw the two of you. From where I was standing, you weren't putting up much of a fight," he reminded her.

"What are you saying, Gobber?" asked Astrid sharply.

He sighed. "I'm saying…please be careful. The lad's hurting, Astrid. He needs friends, but he's not going to allow it anytime soon."

Astrid frowned.

"Astrid…I hope you get to meet the real Hiccup one day soon. The lad I know was always smart, funny, caring…and you already noticed he's good looking." Gobber waggled his eyebrows at her, while she levelled him with a deadpan look.

"I'll book an appointment," she said sarcastically.

Gobber sighed in defeat as they reached Astrid's car. "Just…be careful. Alright?"

"Sure Gobber."

-oOo-

Mayor Ingerman was in the library talking with his son, Fishlegs. "Anything new happened, son?"

"Not much…except there was a stranger came in here yesterday."

"Oh…would he be about six foot three….auburn shaggy hair?" asked the Mayor.

"Yes, that's him. His name was Hiccup Ryder," replied Fishlegs.

"Hiccup? That's an unusual name," mused his father.

"Not from around here, it's not. Remember….Viking heritage….scares away the trolls etc….Ring any bells?" Fishlegs reminded his father about Berk's eccentricities.

"That's what makes it unusual… if he was a stranger," added Mayor Ingerman. "I met him outside the Council Chambers yesterday. You know, he looked familiar to me, but I can't figure out why," he wondered thoughtfully.

Fishlegs eyes widened at this. "He looked familiar to me, too…He came in here to do research, but when he saw Mayor Stoick's picture, he nearly fainted."

"That's interesting, son. Did you find out why?"

Fishlegs shrugged, "He said something about his dad having the same hair colour."

Mayor Ingerman chuckled. "Stoick was quite the standout with that mane of red hair and massive beard. You know, I sometimes wonder what his son would have looked like as a grown man. He'd have been about your age if he'd survived. Terrible business that," said the Mayor, shaking his head sadly. "Someone broke into his house one day. As a result, his wife Valka disappeared and his son died. What was his name again? It's on the tip of my tongue…" he muttered. "Oh well, I'm sure it will come to me later on," he added cheerfully.

"Anyway, best be off. I'll see you at dinner tonight," finished the Mayor, waving goodbye to his son as he left.

Fishlegs gave a distracted wave as he thought about his father's words. He had work to do, but this was a puzzle he couldn't let go off. He decided the best way to answer the questions was with research…his favourite pastime. So his feet automatically headed towards the research section at the back of the library.

As he reached the rows of old books he glanced up out of habit, at the art collection of Berk's prominent families that hung on the walls there. But this time, he did a double take in shock. There, in all its glory, was a painting of Mayor Stoick with his wife and their infant son. But there was something much more fascinating in this painting that he'd never had the chance to see before. Valka Haddock was the spitting image of…..

Fishlegs phone rang. He answered it in a hurry to find his father on the other end. "Hiccup!" cried the Mayor suddenly.

"What?" asked Fishlegs in confusion.

"Hiccup! That was the name of Stoick's boy."

"Dad…." Fishlegs asked slowly as he stared at the painting. "Are you sure his son died?"

-oOo-

Hiccup was frantic. He'd intended to have a read of his father's old yearbook, but he couldn't find it. It was pretty much the only thing he had left of his father, and now it was gone. He'd already searched through the workshop, but hadn't found it.

Hiccup ripped open the door of his truck. He was sure he had placed it on the seat after Gobber had given it to him. He carefully checked along the seat, under the blankets he kept for Toothless, on the floor, in the glove compartment.

Nothing.

Hiccup ran his hands through his hair in frustration as he thought where else the book could be. Toothless took that moment to investigate what his boy was doing, and jumped in the open door of the truck.

"Hey, bud, think you can help me find dad's book?" Hiccup asked, not really expecting too much. He scratched the side of his jaw as he thought about where next to search, all the while watching Toothless as he sniffed over the seat, then down to the floor. The black wolf stuck a paw under the seat and scratched at something, giving a small whine.

"What's the matter? Did you leave some food under there?" Hiccup asked distractedly. "Urgh… I hope not, it will stink for weeks."

Hiccup went round to Toothless side of the truck.

"Come on, you big lug. Move over and let me look."

Hiccup stuck his head down as far as he could to see what was under the seat. He frowned.

"What's that?" he asked Toothless, who didn't bother answering him.

Sticking his hand in cautiously, Hiccup took hold of a hard object. He smiled in relief as he recognized the texture.

"Dad's book. You're a genius, Toothless," exclaimed Hiccup as he pulled it out and dusted it off.

"Come on…I'll buy you lunch and we can read it together," said Hiccup as hopped back in the truck with Toothless beside him.

-oOo-

"Guess what, guys?" yelled Fishlegs as he burst into the coffee shop.

Ruff groaned, "We're not doing that again, are we? Besides…." she indicated to the coffee shop full of customers, "I'm kinda busy right now."

"Oh….but this is really exciting news," he told her, bouncing on his feet in his excitement.

Astrid rolled her eyes as she glanced at him from her seat. "What is it, Fishlegs?"

"I don't want to say it out loud," he began nervously.

"Why not?" asked Tuff as he walked past with some dirty dishes to drop into the sink.

"Because..." Fishlegs began loudly, then dropped to a dramatic whisper, "...because it involves you-know-who."

"Just tell us already," threatened Astrid, as she walked over to the group with a heavy scowl.

Fishlegs drew back a little in fear. "Uh...okay...no need for violence."

Ruff scoffed. "There's always a need for violence."

"Umm...it was about Hiccup,"

"What about tall, dark and handsome?" grinned Ruffnut as she gave a knowing glance towards Astrid, who only frowned further.

"I know who he is," Fishlegs told them, his eyes opening wide.

Tuff shrugged, "We already know who he is...he's Hiccup."

"Noo…..I mean who he really is," said Fishlegs, waiting for that to sink in. He beckoned them all to lean in a little closer.

"He's the son of Mayor Stoick," he whispered.

"What?" yelled Astrid, stepping back in shock before being urgently shushed by Fishlegs.

"What?" she whispered, moving in closer again.

"Really?" questioned Tuff, crossing his arms over his chest with one eyebrow raised in doubt.

"How can he be Mayor Stoick's son?" said Astrid doubtfully. "I didn't know he even had a son."

"He did," replied Fishlegs. "Dad was telling me that when Stoick was Mayor, someone broke into their home and his wife Valka went missing, presumably died. Everyone thought his son had died as well. Seems Stoick left soon after, but he must have taken his son with him."

Astrid was confused, "So? What does that have to do with us? And why are we whispering about it?"

Fishlegs huffed. "Well, don't you think it's a little odd...a man who's supposed to be dead, coming back to Berk with a different name?"

Astrid nodded slowly. "It does seem strange," she agreed thoughtfully.

Tuff shrugged casually. "He asked Gobber for help," he told the others. "Maybe he knows something."

"He does," confirmed Astrid, remembering her earlier conversation with her boss. "But he wouldn't tell me anything…except to say that Hiccup needed friends."

Tuff's face lit up at that news. "We can be his friends," he cried loudly, before being shushed by Fishlegs.

Astrid frowned furiously. "Knock yourself out…but I refuse to be with friends with that….that…." She struggled to find the right words.

"Got it that bad, huh?" teased Ruff, before she was forced to duck out of the way from her friends right hook.

"No, I haven't…" Astrid denied hotly. "And besides, he doesn't want any friends. Or help."

"Everyone needs a little help now and then," stated Tuff emphatically. "They just might not know it yet."

"Yeah, sure," agreed Ruff. "And who better to help, than the hottest lonesome stranger in town?" she winked at Astrid, who glared right back at her.

Just then the bell over the door rang, and the small group separated from each other almost guiltily. Especially as they realised who had entered.

"Hiccup!" cried Tuff energetically. "Come over here, my man. We've got a special seat saved for you."

Hiccup was looking at Tuffnut as if he had two heads when the dreadlocked man grabbed the newcomer by the arm and dragged him over to an empty seat a little further away from the rest of the lunch crowd. Tuffnut and Fishlegs promptly sat down beside him, both giving him cheesy grins. Ruff waved off a customer who was looking for service, instead choosing to plonk a menu in front of the confused Hiccup.

"What can we get you today, Hiccup?" Ruff asked, her pen and pad ready in her hand, while Astrid hung back from the group, a serious scowl marring her beautiful features. She could see him glancing at her in bewilderment, wondering what was going on.

"Err…shouldn't you be serving your other customers first?" asked Hiccup, glancing over at the irate people in the coffee shop, who were trying to get Ruff's attention. He put his book on the table.

She waved her hand dismissively. "They can wait."

"Is something going on?" he asked again, seeing as none of them were leaving. Although by the way Astrid was glowering at him, he thought she would probably like him to leave.

Tuff leaned in and gave a short nod. "We know," he told Hiccup in a meaningful manner.

Hiccup was immediately on guard. "Know what?" he asked suspiciously.

"We know who you are," said Fishlegs as he leaned in.

"I already told you who I am," said Hiccup evasively.

"We know you're Stoick's boy," whispered Fishlegs.

"Who told you that?" Hiccup asked, suddenly aggressive as he started to rise.

"Woah, Hiccup," soothed Tuff, pushing on Hiccup's shoulder to force him to sit back down. "We're your friends here. Sit down, man."

Hiccup reluctantly did as asked, but told them bitterly, "I don't have any friends."

Ruff snorted, "Yeah you do, idiot. We're your friends."

Hiccup seemed stunned at that. Then he shook his head urgently, "No, you don't understand. I can't have friends."

"Course you can, doofus," Ruffnut told him cheerfully. "We're all volunteering." She waved vaguely at the rest of them, making sure to include the sullen Astrid in her sweeping gesture.

Tuff wrapped his long arm around Hiccup's shoulder and gave him a side hug, much to his astonishment. "Hiccup, we're going to be your pals, whether you want it or not. We're like the smell in the outhouse…you can't get rid of us."

Fishlegs wrinkled his nose at the analogy. "Eww, Tuff," he said in disgust.

"What? That stink never goes away...especially after Gobber has been after a night on our famous mutton stew."

Everyone sniggered, even Fishlegs, although he tried to hide it behind a cough.

"Look...the point is, we want to help," Tuff told him earnestly.

Hiccup was bewildered as he stared at each of them, including Astrid. Although his gaze only flickered over her for a moment. He was deeply touched by their conviction, even though they had no idea what they were saying.

"You guys are crazy," he mumbled.

"Confirmed fact," nodded Ruffnut proudly, crossing her arms.

"Hey Ruffnut. Can we get some service please?" yelled a customer. Ruff rolled her eyes, but told her brother, "Come on, Tuff. You can help me."

She turned to Hiccup and pointed at him. "You…stay here."

Hiccup put his hands up. "Staying put," he smirked. The siblings left them to it, but Astrid noticed Ruff doing some kind of crazy head shake and eye roll at her, as she twitched in Hiccup's direction.

"You having a fit, Ruffnut?" she asked sarcastically.

Ruff huffed in annoyance. "Time for you to do your thing," Ruff muttered to her as she walked past. Astrid only glared at her.

Fishlegs stood up next. "I'm sorry Hiccup," he told his new friend apologetically. "I have to head back to work, too. Can we catch up later?"

"Ah…sure," came Hiccup's uncertain response, still feeling baffled as to why his new-found 'friends' were so keen to have anything to do with him.

Fishlegs left, leaving only the newcomer and Astrid, who was still standing awkwardly wondering what she should do.

Hiccup looked up at the blonde woman. "I promise I won't bite," he told her, motioning to the seat on the other side of the table.

She hesitated, then nodded and slid stiffly onto the chair and sulkily crossed her arms.

"Look Astrid...I just want to say...that I'm sorry. I was a little out of control this morning," he tried to apologize.

She narrowed her eyes to look at him. "You think?" she responded sarcastically.

He sat back and gave an annoyed twitch of his lips. "Are you this uptight all the time? Or is it just me you have trouble with?" he asked.

"Don't flatter yourself," she muttered at him, blushing slightly as she turned her head away.

He shook his head in exasperation. "Look, Astrid. This is a small town. We're going to run into each on a regular basis. Especially as we both work for Gobber. It's going to be extremely unpleasant if we have to do this dance each time. So how about you take that stick out of your backside…and let's try to be at least civil to each other," he suggested firmly.

Astrid was about to give a caustic reply, but at the warning frown he shot at her, she paused. She wasn't normally so aggressive to others… although she'd never been rejected before either. And that had stung. A lot. But at the same time, she couldn't deny she was curious about him. Plus she had to reluctantly agree he was right…they would have to see each other often. So his suggestion made sense, even with the sharp barb he had planted in it.

She stiffly nodded her agreement to him, and she saw a flash of relief cross his eyes before he smirked at her in that irritating way that she was starting to become familiar with.

"Good."

Ruff appeared then, with lunch for both Hiccup and Astrid, plonking it down on the table in front of them.

"What?" she asked casually as Astrid gave her an exasperated huff. "You gotta sit somewhere to eat, don't cha? So be a good girl and eat here."

Hiccup thanked Ruff before she left and had already started in on his food by the time Astrid forced herself to loosen up enough to touch her own. She was going to prove she wasn't uptight, even if she had to break every rigid bone in her body to do it.

Hiccup ignored her, and ate half of his sandwich while he opened the book that had lain forgotten on the table till now. Astrid watched him closely as she picked through her own food, and was surprised to see him looking so sad as he slowly flipped the pages over.

"What's that?" she heard herself ask, then stopped surprised when she realised she had spoken.

He glanced up at her, then picked up the book to show her the cover. 'Berk High School Yearbook' was written across the top. She noted it was from about thirty-five years ago. He then thumbed to a page with a picture of a young couple and a huge heart drawn around them with the word's, 'Cutest couple'.

"My parents," he told her, before dropping the book back on the table in front of him.

Astrid was shocked. Fishlegs had been right.

Before she could stop herself, she asked, "What happened to them?"

She immediately regretted it as a dark veil dropped over his face, and his eyes hardened. "I don't know," he told her heavily.

Hiccup had continued to flick through the yearbook as he spoke, but he suddenly froze and stared at the page now open in front of him. Astrid curiously tried to see what had garnered his attention, but all she could see was a photo of a group of teenage boys…with a handwritten note beside it.

She could see there were five boys in the photo, although one was half-hidden in the shadows. Their names were printed on the page, but before she could read them or the note, he had slammed the book shut and jumped to his feet. Picking up the remaining half of his sandwich he drawled, "Thanks for your company, ma'am," then left. Astrid was flabbergasted when she heard him give a terse 'thank you' to Ruff and walked out the door.

Ruff was immediately on her case. "What did you do to him? I leave you alone for FIVE minutes…and you scare him off?"

"I didn't do anything," Astrid declared defensively as she stood up. "If you like him so much, why don't you chase him?" she snapped, before promptly leaving the shop too.

Once outside Astrid headed for her car, only to find the steely eyes of Hiccup staring at her as he stood beside his truck. He was holding the door open for a large black wolf who was about to enter the truck's cab. As soon as the canine had seen Astrid though, the large furry beast sauntered over in her direction instead. Hiccup said nothing, only watched how she showed no fear when offering the back of her hand for the wolf to sniff. Once she received a lick from a rough tongue, only then did she cautiously rub his furry neck.

"Toothless…time to go," Hiccup commanded in a firm voice. Toothless returned back to him and leapt lightly into the cab. The young man slipped in behind him and closed the door. She watched as the truck reversed, then spun its tyres down the road.

Mildew, the town's most vocal complainant, happened to be walking down the street towards the cafe, and he turned to raise his fist at the departing truck. "Hooligan! Vagrant!" he screamed at it. "You'll be gone soon. I've made sure of that. We don't need you here."

Mildew usually made baseless threats against one or the other of the entire population of Berk on a regular basis, but for some reason, this threat made her blood run cold. What had the old fool done?

Mildew turned and noticed Astrid staring at him. "What are you looking at?" he snarled at her.

"Nothing useful," she snapped back, glaring at him. She opened her car door and slid in as she growled at him, "Do us all a favour…go find a hole and bury yourself in it.

"Well! I never," the old man spluttered as she zoomed off. "No respect from these young people…no respect at all."

-oOo-

Hiccup walked in through the doors of the library, greeting a surprised Fishlegs. "May I use the computer again?" he asked briefly.

"Of course," stated Fishlegs cheerfully, waving him in. "Do you need help?" he asked eagerly.

"No, I'm good, thanks," Hiccup told him as he strode confidently towards the computers.

He wasn't there long before…. "Got ya," he breathed quietly to himself.

-oOo-

"Was dad involved in something odd before mum disappeared?" Hiccup asked Gobber. He was back at the shop lying under an ancient station wagon, changing the filthy black oil and trying hard not to spill it on himself.

Gobber wiped the grease off his hook, as he ambled over towards his protégé. He leaned up against the side of the vehicle then stopped to think.

"Aye, I suspected he was. There were some…nasty elements in town at the time and I noticed Stoick was paying close attention to what was going on. They had been charged with some serious crimes…I can't remember exactly what now….but they were found not guilty, so they were never convicted."

The portly fellow scratched his chin, leaving a streak of grease. "I remember your dad was furious. When I asked him about it, he only told me it was best I didn't know. He didn't want me to get hurt you see." Gobber shook his head sadly. "Your dad….he had strong feelings when it came to 'protecting his own.' When Valka disappeared, he entrusted you to me and told me to keep you hidden. He suspected foul play, which I told you about earlier. But Valka…he was relentless searching for her. He would be gone all day and into the night…only coming back when he was so exhausted he could barely stand. Then one day…." Gobber trailed off as he remembered with too much clarity the events from all those years ago.

Hiccup slid himself out from under the car and stood beside Gobber, placing one work roughened hand on the old man's broad shoulder to give him an urgent shake. "What happened, Gobber? Tell me," he demanded impatiently.

Gobber seemed to shudder as he turned his compassionate gaze towards the young man that had been dealt such a rough hand in life.

"One night…he didn't come home. I was getting frantic and almost ready to send out a search party, but then….he turned up the next afternoon. I'd never seen him so broken, Hiccup…" Gobber was visibly distraught at the memory of his best friend. "I remember he walked straight into the house. He said nothing, just picked you up and held onto you as if his life depended on it."

Hiccup turned around and walked over to a stool. He sat down and hung his head miserably in defeat. Six years of being on the run and trying to find out the truth had taken its toll on him. And it seemed the hits were going to just keep on coming. But Gobber hadn't finished yet.

"The next day he told me he wasn't searching anymore. That he had to protect you and he was leaving Berk. Two days later, you were both gone."

-oOo-

Tuffnut was outside, leaning casually on Hiccup's truck with his arms crossed, waiting for its owner and Toothless to make their appearance.

Hiccup looked up with a small jerk when he noticed someone waiting for him…and who wasn't attempting to kill him. He shook his head ruefully. Having 'friends' was a new novelty that the twins were obviously determined to teach him about.

"What do you want, Tuffnut?" he asked tiredly.

Tuffnut raised his hands in surrender. "Nothing bad, Hiccup. I promise." He grinned and leaned back up against the truck, his elbows resting on top of the style side tray behind him. "I was hoping you'd come out with me to the abandoned mines this afternoon, for a little 'explosive' action…if you know what I mean," he advised him with an inviting quirk of his eyebrows.

"Ahhh….I'm pretty tired…" Hiccup began but Tuffnut shut him off.

"It'll be fun, I promise you. Feeling the earth move beneath your feet….Watching bits of trees and rock spewing up into the air." He sighed wistfully at the thought. "Did you know, those tunnels lead all the way under Berk. We could end up anywhere. Ruff and me…we know those tunnels like the back of our hands….even the one that ends up under Gobber's privy." The dreadlocked lad shuddered with revulsion. "Not something I would recommend, by the way. That's too much…even for me."

Hiccup grinned despite himself. "That offer sounds very….tempting I'm sure. But I think I'd better have an early night tonight, Tuffnut. Maybe another time?"

"Come on…you can do it. Nothing like an out-of-control explosion to liven you up. I'll even let you light the fuse," Tuff offered beguilingly.

Hiccup hesitated, watching Tuffnut through hooded eyes. He was pretty sure the lanky lad was'nt connected to Dagur at all, but couldn't understand the man's persistence in trying to be 'friends'. What was his motivation? Why was he doing this? Hiccup wasn't sure if the man or his sister…or any of the others…could be trusted, but he had to admit, the idea of exploding 'stuff' sounded tempting.

He slowly nodded. "Okay… why not? I was only going to drink myself into oblivion again, anyway."

Tuff laughed. "Well, you can either kill yourself slowly with alcohol…or go out with a bang," he reasoned.

Hiccup shrugged. "At least it will be quick. Alright…let's go before I change my mind."

-oOo-

Hiccup was amazed at the area that Tuff had taken him to. It was heavily wooded, but Tuff had already warned him to pay very close attention to where he placed his feet, as there were numerous old mine shafts in the ground. He didn't want to suddenly disappear. Sometimes people did that…and never came back.

"So…where do we start?" asked Hiccup, as Tuff paused to check over his equipment again.

"Well….I like to find something big….and make it a lot smaller," grinned Tuffnut.

"Okay…." Hiccup scanned around. "What about that big boulder over there? Is that big enough?" he asked.

Tuffnut checked in the direction Hiccup was pointing. "While I agree that rock is the right size….I will have to defer on that one."

"Oh?"

"Yeah….some places are sacred after all," Tuff told him. "That rock is too close to my 'thinking space'. Can't blow that up now, can I?"

"No, probably not a good idea. Do you need to go there?" Hiccup asked.

"Nah…Don't need to think right now," shrugged Tuffnut. "Only need to light my fuse."

Hiccup grinned. "Okay then…let's go blow some stuff up."

* * *

 **Well, the tension is high between Hiccup and Astrid, Gobber's having too much fun, and Tuffnut is determined to be a friend. Hiccup is finding out something, but what it means, he doesn't know yet. What's next?**


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Hiccup was bent over the engine bay of a sedan with a faulty alternator, while Gobber was leaning against the side perusing the yearbook that Hiccup had given him. He'd asked Gobber about the men in the photo that he had found yesterday.

And Gobber was going to answer him…once he had finished wandering down memory lane. The old man chuckled as he turned a page. He showed Hiccup the photo of a smiling muscular lad with an oversized jaw, four limbs and….hair. Lots of it. The caption beside the photo read, 'Most likely to lose a limb.'

"Well…they almost got it right…'cept I lost two," he told the younger man, waving his two prosthetics in the air. "Lost them in a mining explosion gone wrong. There was a Thorston involved, funnily enough," Gobber told him.

Hiccup snorted. "The fruit didn't fall far from the tree then?"

Gobber shook his head nostalgically. "Nope….How were they last night, anyway? Still in fine form?"

Hiccup chuckled. He'd spent the evening with the twins, after he and Tuffnut had finished blowing up a few things. He'd had to admit, it had been quite therapeutic to be unapologetically violent for no reason at all except to 'see things blow up'. Afterwards, he had been uncharacteristically relaxed and had readily agreed when Tuff had extended an invitation for dinner with the twins. When Ruff heard, she had immediately included Fishlegs and Astrid, but refused to invite Snotlout.

Hiccup had sat back bemused while he listened to the twins fighting over the black haired man. He couldn't help chuckling when Ruff told her brother 'although she would love to see Hiccup punch Snotlout's lights out, she wanted this to be a fun evening.' And it had been. Even if Astrid spent most of the night sitting back quietly, watching him instead. His gaze had caught up with hers occasionally before turning away. Despite the odd moments of friction, Hiccup couldn't recall a time when he'd allowed himself to have so much fun. Certainly not since his father's death anyway.

"Yeah, they were good."

Gobber nodded absently, turning a few more pages before arriving at the one with the handwritten note.

"Aye… that's Stoick's handwriting," he nodded to himself. "They were a bad bunch that lot," he told Hiccup. "Started hanging out together in our last year of school. Made life miserable for almost everyone, they did…what with all their schemes and blackmailing." He stared thoughtfully at the photo for a little longer.

"I found a newspaper article about them," Hiccup said, pausing to tighten a bolt. "They were released from charges of smuggling a few weeks before mum disappeared." He stood up. "Well…all of them except for that guy…" he tapped the picture of the half-shadowed teen. "…Drago. He apparently wasn't involved. Do you recall any of that?" Hiccup asked hopefully.

Gobber frowned, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Vaguely. I think Drago might have been the one responsible for getting the rest of them freed, if I remember correctly. He was the leader of their gang at school. They all followed him like lost puppies. I don't rightly know what Stoick's interest in them was, though. Unfortunately, I don't know more than that. Sorry lad," he added as Hiccup sighed in frustration.

Hiccup took the book from him and placed it on the bench. "Never mind, Gobber. Thanks for trying."

"Maybe Stoick left notes about what happened?" Gobber suggested. "You know, he was adamant about writing notes…said he could'na always rely on memory… but could always rely on his notes."

"I know," replied the younger man. "He was mad about it. But if there are any, where would they be?"

"Hmmm…..that's a tricky one….Your old house is out, that got burnt to the ground as soon as you and your father left," murmured Gobber.

"What about the Council Chambers?" asked Hiccup. "Would he have left something there?"

Gobber shrugged. "Worth a try as any. Just have to ask."

"Yeah, I'm sure I could just rock up and say, 'Hey, do you think my dad left some incriminating notes here? I'd like to have them back please.' _That_ would go down well," snorted Hiccup sarcastically.

"Well, we could always sneak in the back door with a flashlight," Gobber returned with just as much sarcasm.

Hiccup laughed. "I can see you as a cat burglar… a one-legged, one armed burglar. You'd be great at it."

"Never mind your cheek, young fella," warned Gobber with a smirk. "This old body still has a few tricks left in it."

"I'm sure," chuckled Hiccup. "Still doesn't get me in the Council Chambers though, does it?"

"What we need is an insider," decided Gobber.

"Hmmm…." murmured Hiccup, sticking his hand in the back pocket of his jeans. Pulling out a business card, he asked his mentor, "Will a Mayor be good enough?"

-oOo-

Astrid waited until she knew Gobber and Hiccup were outside talking with a customer. Then she headed for the bench in the work shop where she had seen the yearbook earlier that morning. She'd been dying of curiosity about it, but was _not_ going to ask Hiccup if she could look at it. So when she'd seen it lying around, she had figured this was her opportunity to find out.

Keeping her ears trained on the voices outside, she quickly scampered over to the bench. Picking it up, she idly looked over the cover, before flicking through the pages. She found the photo with Stoick and Valka easily enough. As she studied the teenagers on the page before her, she could recognize Hiccup in the face of his mother and of his father. She had to giggle at the note…they were indeed a cute couple.

Turning a few more pages, she finally found what she had been searching for…the picture of the five men and the handwritten message. It simply stated, "Most likely to form a criminal syndicate.' Astrid stared at the photo, but could not recognize any of the five boys. But there was another face that she _did_ recognize….Spitelout Jorgensen, Snotlout's dad. He was in the background, obviously trying to look as if he were part of the group but clearly wasn't.

Astrid cast her eyes over the unfamiliar names written under the photo. "Drago Bludvist, Alvin the Treacherous, Oswald the Antagonistic, Vorg and Savage," she murmured to herself. A noise close by caused Astrid's head to shoot up in panic. Her eyes opened wide as she saw Hiccup walking back in the workshop. He hadn't seen her yet, so she hurriedly slammed the book shut and tossed it back where it had come from. Unfortunately, it knocked over a pile of sockets, making an alarming clanging noise. Astrid's head whipped towards Hiccup who was now staring at her in surprise. He started walking towards her, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Looking for something?" he asked slowly, his gaze taking in the yearbook that was no longer in the right place, before turning his piercing green eyes back on her.

Astrid was sure she looked as guilty as she felt… so did what all guilty souls have done since the beginning of time….looked for an excuse.

"Yeah…uh….a spanner!" she almost yelled, as she desperately grabbed a tool from the bench.

"A spanner?" he asked, clearly not falling for that one, one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah…I needed one to work on….a…a secret project," she finished desperately, her brain having fled at that point.

"Righhhht," drawled Hiccup. He took a few steps closer, leaning around her to pick up something. "Then you'd be needing an actual spanner then," he told her drily as he swapped it for the wrench she currently held.

"Uh, thanks. I knew that," she mumbled, meekly accepting the proffered tool before turning and forcing herself to walk out of the room. She could feel his stare on her back as she struggled to maintain her composure. Once she had reached the safety of the office, she collapsed on her chair, dropping the tool on the desk and thumping her head down on her arms.

"Well….that wasn't embarrassing at all," she scolded herself.

-oOo-

Mayor Fiske Ingerman walked into the library, to the surprise of his son.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" Fishlegs asked as he hugged his father.

"You won't believe this…I got a phone call from our young friend, Hiccup," the Mayor told him.

"Hiccup called you? Why?" asked Fishlegs curiously, pulling out a chair for his dad.

"It seems he had a few questions about Stoick. I thought it best to talk to him where there was less risk of being overheard. Can't be too careful," he told him as he sat down. "He'll be here shortly."

"Oh. Do you need me to leave?" Fishlegs asked timidly.

"That depends on Hiccup, son," Fiske told him.

It wasn't long before Hiccup arrived. He respectfully pulled his hat off his head, at the same time extending his arm to shake hands with the Mayor and then Fishlegs.

Hiccup thanked Fiske for agreeing to see him while Fishlegs discreetly left them to it, choosing to sort books quietly behind a large bookshelf but still within earshot.

"So, young Hiccup. What can I do for you?" asked the Mayor kindly.

Hiccup was well aware of Fishlegs presence, so he spoke to the both of them. "I'd appreciate it sir, if this information doesn't leave this room," he requested politely, but with a touch of steel in his voice that made the Mayor sit back and study the young man before him. It was a few moments before he answered.

"I see….Well, I'm sure that won't be a problem for _both_ of us…will it Fishlegs."

"No sir, no problem at all," Fishlegs hurriedly called back from behind the bookshelf.

Hiccup nodded. "Thank you. As you are already aware, Stoick was my father." He indicated towards the painting that hung over them like a giant red-haired sentinel. "I'm trying to find out if he had left any notes at the Council Chambers when he was Mayor that you may know about. I believe these notes may link my father with these men." At this point, Hiccup opened the yearbook he had with him to display the photo of the five teenagers.

Fishlegs tried to peer around the corner, his curiosity at an all-time high. He gave a frustrated sigh when he realised the broad back of his father was blocking his view.

"Hmm….I can see why the secrecy now," frowned Fiske as he thought about the situation. "Unfortunately, I don't know if I'll be able to help. You see…I wasn't on the Council back then. Your dad was a mighty fine Mayor…he would do anything to help anybody, and he was well loved by the townspeople. But there was a criminal undercurrent hiding in our small town that didn't like him. Stoick did his best to uproot them, but he was fighting an uphill battle. Then Valka disappeared and it really seemed to be the end for him. He was a broken man after that. We'd all thought you had died as well, but I guess he had hidden you away…most likely to protect you from whatever had happened to your mum….Here!" Mayor Ingerman leapt off his seat in alarm, to guide Hiccup to another chair as the younger man paled and staggered.

"I'm okay, sir," Hiccup brushed him off, but stayed seated. "It's just that I know so little about what happened."

The older man patted him on the shoulder before retaking his own chair. "That's alright son…it was a terrible tragedy for all. The town took a massive hit after Stoick left. He'd been the only thing standing for decency while he was Mayor. His cousin Spitelout….I believe you've already met his son, Snotlout…"

Hiccup glanced over to him in disbelief. "Are you trying to tell me, that I'm related to Snotlout?"

Mayor Ingerman pulled a face. "Yeah…sorry about that. Not a fact I'd be broadcasting either."

A snort was heard from behind the bookcase. Hiccup merely rolled his eyes, and indicated for the story to continue.

"Okay… where was I? Oh yeah. Spitelout was the only option left when your dad stepped down from office. Not many people agreed with that…but we couldn't do much about it at the time." The Mayor sat back and stroked his generous chin. He chuckled. "You know, tradition says that the incoming Mayor has to take down the outgoing Mayor's portrait from the Council Chambers, and reinstall it here in the library as a show of respect. But Stoick, he almost caused a riot."

Hiccup gave the man a quizzical look.

"Stoick refused to allow Spitelout to touch his portrait. He insisted on taking it down and reinstalling it here himself. He even got up on the ladder and placed the painting on the hook. Spitelout was furious. He thought Stoick was making a fool of him." The big man shrugged. "Spitelout didn't need Stoick for that. He was pretty good at doing that all by himself."

Fiske shook his head sadly at the recollection. "Every criminal element in Berk had free reign while Spitelout was ruling…provided they lined his palm with enough cash. After two years, the people were fed up…and that's when I was asked to step up for the job."

Hiccup told him sincerely, "And you're obviously good at your job, because you're still here."

Mayor Ingerman sat back proudly at the praise. "Thank you, son…I appreciate that. But as for notes….I never saw any. I'm sorry I can't help you," he told the young man with genuine remorse.

Hiccup nodded, and thanked both of them after Fishlegs came out from his hiding spot. The father-son team watched him leave. Mayor Ingerman prided himself on being a good judge of character, and he liked what he saw in this young man, despite the hardened features. He'd obviously suffered badly, but he had a good heart, much like his father before him. He had a feeling great things were going to come from this lad.

-oOo-

Fishlegs had gone straight to the coffee shop after his father had left, and promptly told the twins and Astrid about the conversation between his father and Hiccup…including the news Snotlout was Hiccup's cousin. Astrid then shared what she had seen in the yearbook, although none of them recognized the names she recalled. Now, they were hotly debating whether Snotlout could be trusted, based on the fact that his dad had been accepting bribes during his time as Mayor….and Snotlout always seemed to have a lot of extra cash….

But that conversation was going to have to wait, as Astrid had to get back to work.

-oOo-

Meanwhile, outside of the coffee shop where his integrity was being questioned, the man himself was strolling along the footpath when a Porsche pulled up beside him. His female radar immediately went into overdrive at the sight of the beautiful woman stepping elegantly out of the car.

"Well, helloooo beautiful!" Snotlout sang out flirtatiously. "Looking fi-ine."

The lithe, raven haired woman turned her smoky green eyes on him, before she sauntered seductively towards him.

"Why thank you Snotlout. Pity I couldn't say the same about you," she purred as she walked straight past him.

"Wha….?"

Astrid had chosen that moment to exit the shop. She too, noticed the Porsche with its perfectly coiffured driver… and froze.

"Heather?" she gasped in surprise.

"Astrid? It's been ages. How are you?" asked the other woman as the two approached each other and joyfully hugged.

"I'm great. Wow! Look at you….Doing alright for yourself, I see," said Astrid as she cast an eye over her best friend from high school.

Heather shrugged a well-dressed shoulder. "Can't complain. Keeps a roof over my head."

Astrid snorted. "And a lot more besides. Come inside and tell me all about it," she begged as she indicated back towards the store.

"Are you busy right now?" Heather asked.

"I was going back to work, but that can wait a little longer. Gobber won't mind."

"You work for Gobber now? Wow! That must be exciting," Heather gushed.

Astrid pulled her inside the shop while Snotlout was left standing, flabbergasted. Heather? He hadn't seen her since her brother had taken her from Berk half way through their senior year of high school when their father died. He couldn't believe how hot she now looked. He wondered if she had a boyfriend….

-oOo-

"So you must have done some exciting things since I left," asked Heather over a skinny latte.

Astrid shrugged. "Not much to do around here, really. I'm saving up to go travelling. I want to see the world," she told her old friend.

Heather nodded, "There's much to see," she agreed. She gave Astrid a teasing nudge, "Any boyfriends to take with you?"

Astrid blushed.

"Ooooo….so there is someone," exclaimed Heather. "Tell me all about him. Is he cute?" she asked, wiggling her brows at her old friend.

Astrid shook her head. "I don't have a boyfriend," she denied.

"But someone has your attention. Does he know you like him?" she prodded.

Astrid shook her head. "No. Because there is no one," she told her friend flatly. "Enough about me…what about you? Been breaking hearts?" she asked with a smirk.

Heather's smile faltered and turned sad. "No. But I did have my heart broken," she told Astrid.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Astrid, placing a comforting hand over her friend's.

Heather kept her eyes downcast. "It's okay. It happened a while ago. I met this guy…I thought he was the one, you know?...We were _really_ close and so much in love. He had promised me a great job with his dad's company…and he even proposed."

She sighed wistfully. "It was so perfect too. We were going to live at his father's house until we could find a place of our own. But then…." she paused to wipe away a tear.

Astrid's face twisted in concern. "What happened?" she prompted gently.

Heather's face crumpled in grief as she gave a tiny sob.

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me," Astrid soothed, reaching over to give her friend a comforting hug.

Heather shook her head while taking a tissue out of her purse. She dabbed delicately at her eyes,

"No…it's okay. It's been six years. I should be over this by now." She sighed. "I was so happy…and so naïve. I came home one day, to find a note under my door. It was from him…In it he told me he had never loved me. He had only been using me to take over his father's company. His dad told him he had to be married before he would hand it over. But he couldn't wait, and was going to force his father to 'retire'. So he didn't need me anymore."

She reached into her purse and took out a folded piece of paper. "I still have the letter with me. It's only a copy, as I had to give the original to the police."

Astrid was shocked as she took the letter and scanned through it. It was signed H3. "Why did you have to give the original to the police?"

Heather teared up again. "That same night…he murdered his own father," she cried.

Astrid awkwardly rubbed her friend's shoulders. "That's terrible," she said in horror. "You were lucky to have escaped from him. Who knows what horrible things he might have done to you."

Heather dabbed away her tears, then sighed. "I know. But I still loved him anyway." She paused to look up at Astrid through damp lashes. "You must think I'm awfully silly, going on like this. You were always so strong…you would never have allowed a man to trample over your heart like that."

Astrid nodded firmly. "You bet. And if you ever need help, you can call on me. I'll sort them out for you," she told her friend fiercely. "At least that scum is behind bars where he can't hurt you."

Heather shook her head. "Actually, they never caught him. He's still out there." Astrid gasped in horror and hugged her friend tighter.

"But it's okay. I'm sure I'm safe here."

-oOo-

Hiccup was bent over a car engine with Gobber beside him. The young man stuck his hand out, waiting for the older mechanic to fill it with the tool he needed.

"You know, Gobber. It makes me wonder why dad refused to allow Spitelout to handle his painting," Hiccup told his mentor thoughtfully. He'd already told him everything that the Mayor had said earlier.

Gobber placed a shifter in the lad's hand. "What are you thinking?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know…" Hiccup shrugged. "But I want a closer look at that painting," he decided.

"Well, you won't be able to do that until Monday," Gobber told him with a shake of his head. "Young Fishlegs always attends Council meetings Friday afternoons…although I've often seen him pop back into the library later on…the lad can't seem to stay away from the place."

"Well then…I'll just have to wait for him after his meeting," decided Hiccup. He stood up to check over his work. "This one's done Gobber. Have you got any others for me to work on?"

Gobber shook his head. "No, lad. You've fixed them all….Why don't you finish up for the day, then go and have some lunch? Astrid's running late, but she should be back soon."

Hiccup was concerned at leaving him on his own but Gobber shooed him away. "Go on…I'm perfectly capable of looking after meself."

"Okay," Hiccup finally agreed as he cleaned up. "I could do with some food about now, anyway… Toothless," he called out. "Time to go, bud."

-oOo-

Hiccup drove his pick up towards the coffee shop. As he approached, he noticed a Porsche out front. He didn't recognize it, so didn't give it much thought.

He flicked his indicator switch, ready to park outside the shop. But just as he was about to turn, he realised there was something else he wanted to do first…and that involved heading for the woods. So he flicked his indicator back to neutral, and stepped on the accelerator instead, the motor roaring in response.

-oOo-

Inside the coffee shop, Astrid was preparing to say goodbye to her old school friend, Heather. She was still feeling angry at the story Heather had told her. She knew what it felt like to be badly treated by a man, but to have an engagement broken in such a manner was a very low act in her eyes. She almost wished this 'H3' fella would show up, so she could teach him a few manners.

Giving Heather one last hug, Astrid heard the familiar roar of a pickup engine driving past, but did not allow it to distract her.

Heather spoke to her. "It's been wonderful catching up with you, Astrid," she gushed. "May I meet up with you again later?" she asked uncertainly.

"Of course," Astrid smiled warmly.

The two moved outside and Astrid stood and waved till Heather had driven further into town. Once the Porsche was out of sight, Astrid turned her gaze down the road in the opposite direction. What was Hiccup doing…driving out of town? She was curious, but had no time to find out. She was late…very late... to return from lunch and Gobber was probably going to hand over her head served on a platter along with a 'You're fired' letter. Well….maybe not the second bit, but definitely the first bit.

-oOo-

Hiccup had parked deep in the woods to a place that was becoming familiar. He jumped out of the cab with Toothless close behind. Reaching behind his head, he gripped his shirt and pulled it over his head in one easy motion. Undoing his belt, he dropped his jeans to his ankles, tossing them in favour of a pair of loose pants tied with a knot. Locking the cab, he reached into the tool box in the tray to retrieve his axe. Balancing it over his shoulder, he headed into the trees.

-oOo-

"Why don't you go home early, lass?" Gobber told his receptionist. "It's very quiet this afternoon, and there's no more work to do."

Astrid looked up from where she had been idling twirling a pencil in her fingers. She looked across her desk. All the filing had been done, all bills paid and sorted and her desk was neat and tidy. There had been no more customers since the last of them came and collected their cars ages ago. She was now bored out of her mind.

"That would be nice, Gobber. Thank you," she sighed in relief.

"Go have a nice weekend, and we'll see you back here on Monday," Gobber confirmed.

"Okay….bye Gobber," she called out as she grabbed her bag and raced out the door before he could change his mind.

-oOo-

Astrid was already on the road before she decided she wasn't ready to go home yet. She had too many things to think about. So she headed for one of her favourite places to go for a walk…the woods. Parking not far from the road, she checked her attire. She always wore practical long pants and sandshoes to work, and they would do for a trek through the woods as well.

-oOo-

Hiccup emerged from the trees, sweat dripping off him. Toothless was right beside him, his tongue hanging out as he panted. After he replaced his axe in the toolbox, Hiccup filled the wolf's water bowl before drinking any water himself. He went to grab an old towel to dry off, when he remembered that Gobber's fire wood supply was getting low. Deciding he might as well grab some while he was here, he tossed the towel back in the tray. No point drying off, if he was only going to work up a sweat again. He was about to trudge back into the woods with his axe, when he noticed a fallen tree off to the side. Deciding that was as good as any other, he turned towards it instead.

-oOo-

Astrid was walking along the wide path into the woods, when she heard the distinctive sound of an axe on timber. She paused as she listened to the rhythmic sounds, then continued walking until she came across Hiccup's truck parked amongst the trees. Curious about what he was doing out here, but not wanting to be seen, she stepped off the path and behind some bushes to a position where she could clearly observe the man himself, shirtless and sweating as he launched his axe at an old log over and over again with fine precision. He paused for a moment to set another piece into position, before swinging the axe in a wide arc once more.

Astrid hunkered down on her heels to watch. She felt a little guilty as she allowed her eyes to wander over his physique, the hard work making the muscles on his arms and chest more pronounced. She could plainly see the many scars he had as he twisted with each swing, and wondered what he had done to deserve those.

She was so absorbed in staring at him, that she didn't hear the crack of a twig behind her, or notice a presence other than hers until it was too late. Spinning around on her heels in surprise, she found herself staring into the sombre eyes of a black wolf.

"Oh…ahh….hey there," she whispered nervously, cautiously extending the back of her hand towards him. To her relief, he didn't seem agitated. He merely sniffed her over before licking her hand a few times.

"Urghh…ah, thanks….I think," she mumbled as she attempted to wipe the slobber off her hand onto her shirt. "I hope that washes out," she added quietly.

She froze when she heard Hiccup call out, "Toothless? What have you found, buddy?"

She tried to wave the wolf away. "Go back to Hiccup….go on," she begged quietly as he pushed his nose into her hand. He liked this girl and wasn't ready to leave just yet.

Hiccup started walking towards them, the axe hanging limply by his side and Astrid cast an anxious eye towards him. She really didn't want to be found spying. That was just a whole level of embarrassment she could really do without. But Toothless was refusing to budge, and Astrid was getting more frantic.

"Go…shoo…." she hissed at him, flapping her hands wildly as she kept glancing back towards Hiccup still heading in their direction.

"Toothless, where are you? Come here," Hiccup called out firmly.

He was almost upon them, and Toothless was still nudging Astrid. She thought she was going to be discovered for sure. But, luck must have been on her side, because Toothless abruptly decided to turn and bound out towards Hiccup.

"What have you been doing, bud? Found someone to play with?" the man murmured as he ruffled the wolf's fur. They headed back towards their vehicle.

"Phew… Little too close there," Astrid breathed out in a sigh of relief. She resumed her previous position to check where Hiccup was and saw him walking away from her, the axe still hanging by his side. Toothless suddenly changed direction in front of Hiccup, causing him to stumble…right into the sharp blade of the axe.

Astrid gasped and was about to leap out, expecting to see blood pouring from the deep wound where the axe had embedded itself into his left shin. But to her complete surprise and confusion…nothing happened. Hiccup yanked out the axe and pulled up his pants leg. It was then she could see why. He had an artificial leg.

She was so stunned, she could only sit back and digest that fact for a moment...before she hightailed it out of there.

-oOo-

Hiccup looked up and smirked as he heard Astrid leaving. He'd known she was there as soon as Toothless had told him. He'd gone over to 'search' for Toothless just to see what she would do, and he'd nearly burst out laughing when he saw her trying frantically to wave the canine away. Having her see his prosthetic hadn't been part of the plan, but oh well, they'd all find out eventually anyway. Although he was curious how she was going to explain to the others how she knew about it. He grinned as he loaded the chopped timber into the truck. She intrigued him…a lot. But he had a job to do right now…and chasing hot-headed blondes was _NOT_ on his agenda.

-oOo-

Late that afternoon, Fishlegs was surprised to find Hiccup waiting for him when he arrived to unlock the library. Normally he wouldn't have bothered to come back after his regular meeting with Council but today he needed to finish some work.

"Hello Hiccup. Are you looking for something?" he asked as the taller man followed him inside, along with Toothless. Fishlegs eyed off the wolf nervously.

"A ladder," came the unexpected reply.

"Uh…you do realise this is a library…not a hardware store?" he asked tentatively.

Hiccup pointed towards the portrait of his father. "I need to examine that," he told the husky lad.

"The painting?" Fishlegs asked, wrinkling his nose in confusion.

"I'm hoping it contains some clues," Hiccup told him.

"Oh…okay then…umm, a ladder…yep, I've got one," Fishlegs told him, still uncertain of the other man's plans. He headed off towards a back room and soon reappeared with one, setting it up underneath.

But before Hiccup could put one foot on it, there was a loud knock at the door. Both looked up in surprise as the twins appeared, followed closely by Snotlout.

"Hey guys," said Fishlegs in surprise. "How come you're here?"

Tuff shrugged. "We were taking Snotlout home, and saw Hiccup's truck. Thought we'd come and check if there was a problem."

Snotlout strolled in, his thumbs locked in his belt as he tried to make himself appear important. However, the way his eyes were wildly casting all over the room showed this was not a familiar place to him. His words confirmed it.

"There are so many _books_ here!" he blurted out as the others all turned to stare at him.

"That's what you usually find in a library," frowned Hiccup. Was the man serious? He turned to the twins. "Can we trust him?" he asked doubtfully, remembering this guy was supposed to be his cousin.

Ruff shrugged. "Probably not…but I'll make sure he behaves," she told him, as she eyed off the oblivious Snotlout with a sneer.

Hiccup 'hmmmed' dubiously, before placing a foot on the ladder to climb up.

He took hold of the painting and very carefully released it from its spot on the wall where it had remained untouched for twenty-two years, before lowering it to Fishlegs.

"Hey!" There's something on the back," yelled Snotlout, reaching forward to snatch an envelope that he could see attached to the frame.

"Careful!" cried Fishlegs, the action almost causing him to drop the portrait.

"Give it back to Hiccup," warned Ruffnut as Snotlout impatiently ripped opened the envelope and pulled out several pages.

"It's only words," said Snotlout in disgust. "I thought it was going to be a treasure map." He almost threw the paper back to Hiccup, who caught it quickly, the pages fluttering in his hand.

"What's it say?" Fishlegs asked eagerly, watching Hiccup scan the precious information written so long ago.

Hiccup suddenly felt the need to sit as the words on the page leapt out at him.

"Uh, it's dads notes…he talks about four men being involved in smuggling, and Drago getting his lawyers to have the charges dropped for them." Hiccup read a little more, as the others waited with ill-concealed excitement. Except for Snotlout of course. He merely lifted his lip in a sneer.

"Who cares about an old story?" he complained. "Tuffnut…I paid you to take me home."

Tuff shushed him with a wave of his hand. "Stop whining…I want to listen to this."

"Yeah, me too," added Ruffnut.

Hiccup's breath hitched, as he continued to read.

"What is it?" the others asked.

"Dad…was the entire reason they were caught," he revealed, a little shocked at the news. "He found all the evidence and reported them."

"So?" said Snotlout, totally bored. He had no idea what Hiccup was talking about or why the others seemed to like him so much.

"Do you think maybe…that those men wanted revenge on your dad? And that's why someone went after your mum and you?" asked Fishlegs tentatively as Tuff stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Hiccup shook his head. "I don't know….but it's starting to look like that."

"What about your mum?" Ruffnut asked. "Does he say anything about her?"

Hiccup nodded and started to read, "My dear, sweet ferocious Valka…how bittersweet it is to write about you. I finally…." Hiccup flipped to the next page, "….and that's why I have to leave Berk, to keep our son safe…"

"Huh?" questioned Snotlout. "That doesn't make any sense."

Hiccup flipped through the pages again, looking for the correct one. "There's a page missing."

"MISSING?" squeaked Fishlegs in disbelief. "How can it be missing?" he asked.

Hiccup checked again, "Nope, it's definitely missing."

"You must have dropped it. Everybody…search. We are not moving till we find it. Fishlegs, did you eat it?" Tuffnut challenged.

"No!" cried Fishlegs indignantly. "You probably stole it as some kind of sick joke."

Tuff shook his head.

The female twin turned back to Hiccup. "Tell me you're kidding….it can't be missing."

"Ruffnut, I've checked and double checked…it's missing. And believe me…this is not something I would joke about."

The group hunted around for a little longer before they had to admit defeat. Hiccup was devastated. To have come so close to finding out the truth, and to have it cruelly snatched away at the last moment was too much. They put the painting back up where it came from, and Hiccup carefully filed the letter in his notebook, before the sombre group left the building.

His father's notes had really shaken him up. To find out that his dad had actually been the one who had found out about the smuggling ring…and then was possibly targeted…. was a lot to take in.

"I need a drink," he decided.

-oOo-

Later that evening, Hiccup arrived at 'The Outcasts' ready to soothe his shattered hopes with a few whiskeys. He had already shown the letter to Gobber and shared his frustrations. Pulling up a stool at the bar, it wasn't long before the first whiskey had hit his throat, sliding down smoothly. A second soon followed. He was sure there wasn't much more that could ruin this night for him.

Turned out he was wrong.

-oOo-

"Ring, ring…click."

"Where is he?"

"At 'The Outcasts'…came in not more than five minutes ago."

"Good. Only call me again if he leaves."

"Yes, of course. I am but your humble servant."

"Urgh."

Click.

-oOo-

Hiccup sat at the bar, with his head hung low. The first couple of whiskeys had gone down fast, but he knew enough to slow it down after that. He still hadn't drunk enough to forget the fact that one piece of lost paper was all that stood in between him and finding out what had happened to his mother. It now seemed that his father, had in fact, known the truth. But for whatever reason that was still not clear to him, had never told anyone else.

Hiccup groaned, and sank his head into his hands. He didn't know what to do now. It was obvious, that without that missing page, he wasn't going to find out anything else. He also knew that his time in Berk was very limited. He would put everyone in too much danger if Dagur ever got wind that he had been here. A shot of terror pierced him at the thought. He remembered young Gustav, and how he had been sacrificed right in front of him. He couldn't let that happen again. Not ever again.

He was still lost in his grief, when a hesitant female voice sounded behind him. "Hiccup?"

Hiccup froze, then turned slowly around, all the while hoping the alcohol in his system was causing him to have hallucinations.

It wasn't.

There before him, dressed in a tight fitting red dress, red high heels and a shiny clutch purse was Heather.

"Hiccup? Is that you?" she asked in a tremulous voice. "How are you?" she said quietly, as she took a step towards him.

Hiccup stood before her. "What are you doing here?" he snarled viciously. "Where's your brother? Has he sent you to find me?"

The dark haired woman back pedalled a step or two in alarm. "He's not here. I swear Hiccup, he didn't send me. I only came to visit some friends, that's all," she told him earnestly, a tear glistening on her lashes. "I noticed you at the bar, and I wanted to see how you were. I…I've missed you."

Hiccup took a menacing step forward. "Well, I don't want to be anywhere near you…not after what you did to me," he told her fiercely.

"I…I didn't mean to do any of that," she gave a quiet sob.

"Yeah sure. You just 'accidentally' happened to be trying to get into my father's company…by any means possible. Unfortunately for me, I was the 'any means'," he sneered.

Her face crumpled and she started to cry, but Hiccup remained unmoved.

"I swear Hiccup, I didn't want to. But Dagur made me. After dad died, Dagur was all I had. He took care of me and paid my bills….I owed him, Hiccup….but it didn't mean I didn't like you…I did…I loved you Hiccup, you must believe me," she pleaded, tears streaming down her face.

Hiccup couldn't stand seeing a woman cry, even one like Heather. He asked the bartender for a box of tissues, then handed a few to Heather. She took them from him and dabbed at her eyes, her makeup staying intact.

He told her in a low voice, "I can't believe anything you say, anymore. You told me too many lies."

She sobbed again. "Please Hiccup…I didn't want to hurt you."

He scoffed at her plea. His fists were clenched tight by his side as he growled at her, "What about my dad, huh? He's dead because of you. Nothing you say can bring him back."

"I'm sorry, Hiccup. I truly am. I didn't know any of that was going to happen, please believe me," she begged.

He shook his head and stepped away from her, "What are doing here anyway? Why are you in Berk? Are you doing Dagur's dirty work now? Or is it Alvin? Did he send you?" he asked savagely.

"NO! I'm here on a holiday, that's all. I didn't even tell Dagur I was coming here….But you know, Hiccup…they would stop chasing you if only you came back and joined the company. Just think of the people you care about, and how many of them will be hurt. You can make it all stop, just by coming back."

He sneered at her, "You know as well as I do, Heather…I will never work for Alvin. If that's all you've got to say to me then you had better leave me alone."

She blinked her tear filled lashes at him, her eyes round. "Hiccup, they will keep looking for you, until they have destroyed all that you love…until they have destroyed you. If you ever loved me…please come back. Together we can be a team again. I'll welcome you back with open arms," she lowered her lashes at him, blinking shyly. "I know you missed me…the kisses we shared…if you come back, I'll make it worth your while," she purred suggestively while she approached him with a seductive twist of her hips.

She glanced briefly towards the back of the bar, at the mirror which reflected back an image of the crowd of people behind her. Finding what she was looking for, she gave a small smirk.

Sidling up to him, she tried to put her arms around him.

He reeled back in revulsion, pushing her away. "I've never hit a woman before and I don't intend to start now, but you had better get away from me," he warned.

She suddenly fell to the floor and raised her arms over her head as if to protect herself. "Please don't hit me!" she screamed, loud enough for many in the room to hear. All the heads that swivelled in their direction, saw a beautiful woman cowering at the feet of a very angry and very irate Hiccup.

Including a blonde woman who had entered only moments before.

"Heather? Hiccup?"


	5. Chapter 5

Astrid was in complete and utter shock. She had come to 'The Outcasts' on the invitation of Heather, expecting to have a fun night catching up with her friend. The very last thing she expected, was to find her friend on the floor at Hiccup's feet, begging for him to not hit her. And as Hiccup had looked in Astrid's direction, she could see just how angry he was. His fists were tightly clenched, his jaw hard and his eyes were flashing in rage. But why was he angry with Heather?

It suddenly clicked. Hiccup was the one who broke Heather's heart six years ago. He was the one who had killed his father to take over the company. He was the man who had treated her so badly. Astrid saw red. To think she had nearly been fooled by him. How dare he? How dare he think he could treat a woman this way?

She rushed over to pull a sobbing Heather off the ground, and away from Hiccup who was now staring at her in total dismay. Of all the people to walk in on that…why did it have to be her?

"Astrid…it's not what you think…" he began, softening his stance and stepping towards her.

She pushed Heather behind her. "Stop right there. Who do you think you are? I know all about you and your manipulative ways. You stay away from her…and stay away from me. And I will be calling the police…see how you like it from the inside of a jail cell," she spat at him, absolutely livid. Heather still clung to her arm and Astrid could feel her friend shaking in fear. It made her blood boil even more.

"Astrid," he begged. "It's not like that at all. Whatever she told you, it's a complete lie."

"She's my best friend from school," the blonde woman shrieked. "I've known her for years. I barely know you at all. And I'm glad I don't. You may have tricked the others, but you will never fool me. You're just a money grabbing, low down murderous criminal," she hissed.

Hiccup's brow dropped in annoyance. His voice was low and filled with anger as he spoke fiercely to her, "Is that right? Make sure you remember those words when her brother and Alvin come here…and rip this town apart. Then you can remember who you chose to trust. And he will come, you can depend on that." He stabbed his finger in the air towards Heather. "If she's here, then her brother won't be far behind."

With that, he pushed past both of them and all the other patrons who had congregated to watch the commotion. He stormed out of the building, slamming the door open with such force that the concrete wall cracked from the impact.

-oOo-

"Are you okay?" Astrid asked worriedly, turning towards her tearful friend and checking her over. "Did he hurt you?"

Heather shook her head. "No…you came just in time…thank you," she whispered. "I…I never expected to find him here. It was such a shock!"

Astrid gave her a tight hug. "Well, it's over now." She pulled out her phone. "Give me a moment to call the police…I'm sure they'll be very interested to find him," she growled in anger.

"NO! I mean….no," Heather finished lamely, as Astrid stared at her in confusion. "Don't call them…please? I…I need to be the one to bring him in….after all he's done to me."

Astrid frowned in consternation at this.

"I'll call them myself….later tonight…once I pull myself together. I promise," she pleaded with Astrid, who slowly nodded and put her phone back in her pocket. "Please…could you please take me back to my motel? I…I would like to be alone right now. I'm very sorry, Astrid. I know we were going to have some fun, but this has really shaken me up."

Astrid hugged her again. "Of course," she soothed. "Whatever you want. I understand. But…do you really think you should be alone right now?"

Heather smiled at her gratefully. "Thank you, but I'll be fine."

They had already left the building when Heather turned to Astrid, "Oh! Could you wait here a moment? I left my purse behind."

"Sure."

Heather walked back in and calmly went to collect her purse where she had left it. Glancing back towards the door, she headed over to a dark corner of the room, and slid into a booth.

"Quite the performance you gave there. You should be an actor," came an oily voice.

"Cut the chatter, old man. Do your part of the deal. Inform him that Hiccup is here," was her harsh response.

"Didn't I already tell you that?" the man simpered annoyingly.

"Just do as I tell you," said Heather sharply.

"Where's my money first?"

The sound of a purse opening and snapping shut could be heard.

"Here, you miserable old fool."

"Maybe, but look who you come to first, when you need something done?"

"Enough of you…or my brother will make sure your death will be long and painful," was her callous response.

"No need for that. I'll do my part," the voice snivelled.

Heather rose from her seat and left, hurrying to meet Astrid outside.

Not long after her departure, the other figure also left.

But within earshot of the booth, was a high backed armchair. Suddenly, a long, thin hand appeared on the arm rest, tapping thoughtfully on the side.

-oOo-

Hiccup pulled up his truck in a hurry, the tyres sliding in the dirt. He rushed into the house, banging the door open as he went.

"Oi! Where's the fire?" Gobber yelled, as he hobbled out from the kitchen.

Hiccup was wild eyed and frantic as he took hold of the older man's shoulders and gave him a shake. "She's here," he cried desperately. "And if she's here, then he will be right behind her. Gobber, I've run out of time."

He started pacing across the room, running his hands through his hair in agitation as he proceeded to wear a path through Gobber's stained and faded carpet.

"What are ya on about, lad?" asked Gobber in alarm. As Hiccup opened his mouth to start off another fear fuelled avalanche of words, Gobber put his hand up to stop him. "Take a breather first, kid…and tell me slowly."

So Hiccup did just that. He explained about Heather coming to him in 'The Outcasts', and telling him to go back and work for Alvin. Then about Heather's little trick of cunning that Astrid saw and believed. This part had caused him great concern, not just that Astrid now believed complete and total lies about him, but that Astrid would get caught in Dagur and Heather's trap, along with the rest of the small gang that he had only just learned to relax with. It was like Gustav all over again…and it terrified him.

He berated himself for breaking his own rule of not letting others get close to him…and now they were going to pay for his selfishness. Hiccup was completely distraught as all his emotions came pouring forth, not really knowing how to resolve the problem. Even if he left right now, they would still not be safe. And if he stayed, Dagur would still find him and hurt him as well, or force him to go work for Alvin. He did not want to do it but if that's what had to happen to keep his new friends…including Astrid…safe, then that's what he would do.

Gobber stood and stroked his massive chin as he listened carefully. "What if there was a third option?" he suggested carefully.

Hiccup paused in his ranting to stare hard at his mentor.

"What do you mean third option?" he asked heavily.

Gobber stared the young man straight in the eye. "What if the people of Berk helped you? You wouldn't have to surrender to Alvin and suffer who knows what kind of torture, and your friends would be safe, and we could also help you to defeat both Alvin and Dagur. Then nobody would have to deal with them anymore."

"That would be a big ask, Gobber," Hiccup told him slowly, as the wheels turned in his mind. "Alvin will be bringing trained killers. The people of Berk would be defenceless against them," he warned.

Gobber shrugged, "We're Vikings…we're always looking for a fight. Otherwise we fight each other," he finished with a wide grin.

Hiccup shook his head, "It would take too long to rally people together for a fight they know nothing about," he worried. "Dagur will only be a day or possibly two, away. We wouldn't be able to pull it off in time," he told the older man anxiously as he started to pace again.

"Can yer stop wearing out me heirloom rug," Gobber hinted not so subtly. "I think the answer might be on that slip of a card ya have in your back pocket."

Hiccup stopped and felt through his pockets till he found what he was looking for…Mayor Ingerman's business card.

-oOo-

Astrid was furious…with Hiccup. She had known a lot of men in her life…who were mostly only interested in one thing. One in particular had gotten particularly close, till he too had finally shown his true colours when he had demanded she be subservient to him as a trophy girlfriend. But with Hiccup, she had almost started to believe that he was different…especially with Ruff's insistence on pushing them together… only to find out that he was the biggest scum bag in town. She wondered what Ruff and Tuff would think of their hero now, once she told them the truth. She was still itching to call the police, but Heather had begged her not to, saying she had wanted to be the one to do it.

While Astrid could understand that, it made her frustrated that Heather hadn't been willing to do it straight away.

She pulled out her phone and typed in the number for the police station, but her finger hovered over the 'call' button. It wouldn't take much, only a few minutes. Heather wouldn't know it was her, surely? A lot of people were there…they witnessed it all too. Anyone of them could have made the call to bring Hiccup in.

But she had promised Heather she wouldn't. And a friend never goes back on a promise.

Astrid hit the delete button, and put the phone away.

She would give Heather until the morning…then she would call the police herself.

-oOo-

Hiccup could only be described as totally astounded, at how fast Gobber's house had filled up with the good people of Berk. After the initial call to Mayor Ingerman, in which he had briefly advised him of the situation, the Mayor had told him to 'leave it with him', and people had started flowing into the house not long after.

Hiccup was standing stiffly at one end of the room, a very protective wolf wrapped around his legs growling lowly at all these strangers. Hiccup kept one reassuring hand on his furry head while he waited.

Eventually, Gobber closed the door on the last straggler and came to stand beside Hiccup. Mayor Ingerman also approached the two.

"May I?" he asked Hiccup, indicating the crowd before them.

Hiccup nodded once, before standing straight and tall, his arms crossed over his chest, and a firm scowl on his face.

"Thank you, everyone….for getting here on such short notice," the Mayor began. He looked over at the familiar faces he knew he could trust…including the Thorston twins and their parents, the Hoffersons… minus Astrid for the moment…. his own son and wife plus many others.

He also noted the ones not invited…Spitelout and his son in particular.

When Hiccup had called him, the Mayor had immediately recognized the seriousness of what was happening…and he only wanted those he could rely on. This was going to be a war…one he intended to win.

"I know you are all wondering why the urgency…and why the secrecy," the Mayor continued. "And on that note…I would like to remind you all that whatever you hear in this room tonight….stays in this room," he told them all firmly. There was a general 'aye' of agreement as people nodded.

He indicated towards Hiccup. "First of all….I have someone I would like to introduce you to…this young man is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, son of Stoick the Vast, Mayor of Berk and his wife Valka…. who used to be a great friend to you all," he added quietly.

There was gasps of shock, as Hiccup stood proud and fierce, his brows furrowed with the intensity that had kept him alive so far.

"Yes…I know," added the Mayor as he watched the looks of disbelief and surprise appear on the faces of his friends. "We all thought he had died. But it turns out Stoick had hidden the boy…to protect him."

Mayor Ingerman went on to briefly outline the story that he had gathered from both Hiccup and Gobber about Hiccup's survival as a babe. He then told them what Stoick had revealed in the letter Hiccup had found, about the criminal activities Stoick had tried to shut down so many years ago before his efforts were thwarted by Drago's crooked lawyers. Almost everyone in the room, except the younger generation, had some knowledge of the court case involving members of their own small community…and weren't really surprised to find out that Stoick had been the one responsible for trying to bring them down. They had all been loyal to him then…they were still loyal to him now.

"….which leads us back to Hiccup," finished off the Mayor, as he turned towards the serious young man beside him.

"Could you please tell us what happened to Stoick, son? And why you ended up here?"

Hiccup paused to take a deep breath, then nodded before stepping forward. "My father and I went to live at Raven's Point, where he built up a successful company called 'Dragon's Edge Engineering'. He even managed to expand our services overseas. Some years ago, Alvin approached him saying he wanted to merge his business with ours. He wanted to break into the overseas markets and he needed us to do that. Dad, of course, refused. We already knew that Alvin was a crook. And as I have since found out…he was also a smuggler. So Alvin tried other means…which involved me," he told them all bitterly. "He sent a girl to win me over and try to worm her way into the business…but when dad found out, he went to confront Alvin at an old warehouse. I overheard the phone call and decided to follow, without dad knowing. We were there….but Alvin wasn't. He had sent two killers to do his dirty work. I wasn't supposed to be there, but they found me first and tried to kill me… but dad took the bullet instead. I escaped, only to find out the next day that I had been charged with his murder."

Hiccup paused as murmurs started within the room at this news. They had all heard that Stoick had been murdered, but not the circumstances. Some weren't quite ready to believe it just yet, and Hiccup was aware of that. But he had more to tell them.

"After dad died, Alvin was able to take control of 'Dragon's Edge' with a hostile takeover bid. As the only major stakeholder, I should have been able to stop him…if I hadn't been a wanted man. Alvin put his own people in as directors, and the takeover was complete. He even took our house, so I couldn't go home…." he had to pause there to regain his composure.

"But for me…things only got worse. At first, Alvin kept sending out his hitman after me to finish off the job…they didn't want me to mess up their plans…till they discovered something important." He gave a sardonic smile, then shrugged wryly, "Turns out my skills as head engineer were what made dad's company so successful. Suddenly, I'm the most wanted man, but for a different reason. Alvin wants me to come back and work for him and his crooked organisation. Which is something I will never do," he finished fiercely.

But Hiccup had still more news for the people of Berk, that directly involved them. "Two days ago, I received a note from a trusted source," he told them quietly. "Alvin has been involved with Drago for many years…and I suspect Drago has been the mastermind of events the whole time…but now Alvin has his sights set back on Berk."

This caused a wave of consternation amongst the group, as they shuffled and turned to each other in worry.

Hiccup cast his eyes towards the Mayor as he told them all, "Drago and Alvin have plans to meet with the Mayor to discuss bringing Alvin's business to Berk…and possibly something much more sinister."

The Mayor was startled that Hiccup knew about this, as the others gave voice to their disagreement to this proposal. He quickly stepped forward.

"Settle down, settle down. Alvin made an appointment with me a few weeks ago… long before I knew about Hiccup. He will be here on Monday, but it's not an appointment I can refuse right now without causing more problems. And that's why we called you all here tonight….so we've got time to be prepared. From everything that Hiccup has told me, it seems Alvin won't be coming alone… or unarmed. And it seems the lad will also be in danger. Stoick once protected this town so valiantly from the criminal element that surrounded us back then…now it's our turn to protect his son…and remove the scourge of crime from Berk once and for all."

The room broke out in loud, whole hearted agreement…then settled down to the business of preparing the town's defences.

-oOo-

Astrid was steaming. She had knocked on the twins front door, but the house was in darkness. Obviously they weren't home. Which surprised her. She had called Ruffnut after Heather had invited her to 'The Outcasts', to ask her to come along too. Ruff had readily agreed but Astrid hadn't stayed at the club long enough to find her there. So after leaving Heather at her hotel, Astrid had returned to the club, but Ruff hadn't been there. So she had come to the twins house next, with no luck.

Getting back into her car, she drove the short distance to Fishleg's house. But she could see that he was out too. Where was everyone?

Not knowing where else to go, she headed back home.

Her story would have to wait until the morning.

-oOo-

Early the next morning, Fishlegs was at the door of his precious library. He'd been involved in the plans being made last night, but something had bugged him the whole time….the missing page.

So, he had come back today to search again. He checked the desk, then the floor. Nothing. However, as he straightened up, he accidentally knocked a thin paperback off the table. Sighing, Fishlegs bent down to grab it, waving it to remove the dust as he picked it up. He heard a slight noise that was very familiar and he paused. Waving the book again, he heard the noise once more. It was the distinctive sound of paper crinkling in the breeze. His excitement levels rose as he suddenly crashed to the floor on all four limbs, searching again but this time under the shelves that lined the wall.

"Aha!" he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up brightly as he found his quarry. Only a small corner was visible, but Fishlegs pulled it out, scanning it as he stood up.

"Yes!" he shouted. "I've got it!" he whooped.

"Got what?" came a curious voice.

Turning towards the newcomer, Fishlegs stopped short. He folded the paper and casually slid it in his pocket. "I've finally figured out how to file books written by authors with Mc or Mac in their name," he covered smoothly as Snotlout stared at him, unimpressed.

"Whatever," he snorted. "Is that why you are here on a Saturday? For something as lame as that?" he asked snidely, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Yes," huffed Fishlegs. "But I'm leaving now, so what is that you want?" he asked the other man. No one was really prepared to trust Snotlout, and Fishlegs now had even less reason to.

"I'm heading to the coffee shop and saw you were open," Snot told him.

"Well, I'm closing up now, so….." Fishlegs said slowly, wanting to get rid of the black haired man.

Snotlout waved dismissively. "Yeah, yeah… I'm leaving. Too much stuffiness in here for me. Books. Who even reads them anyway?" he snorted rudely.

Fishlegs frowned, but said nothing till the other man had left. He then closed up the library, and making sure the precious page was still in his pocket, started up his scooter 'Meatlug'. The little bike spluttered into life, Fishlegs releasing the brake and carefully pulled out onto the road. Today, he was not Fishlegs the librarian.

He was Fishlegs the detective….a man on a dangerous mission.

-oOo-

Snotlout strolled along the footpath towards the café. He was almost there, when he saw Heather's Porsche pulling up at the kerb beside him. He waited until the elegantly dressed driver exited her vehicle.

"Hey babe, looking for me? Cause I know you couldn't get enough of this," he told her, flexing his biceps in a way he thought would make Heather instantly drool over him.

Instead, she rolled her eyes and tried hard not to look as if she were about to throw up.

"I've already had more than enough of that…and it's not even breakfast," she snapped. "I'm looking for Astrid. Have you seen her?" Heather asked harshly.

Snotlout shrugged. "She wasn't at the library last night when Hiccup found some stupid letter about his dad…so I don't know where she is. But don't worry…she can never resist my animal magnetism for too long. So how about you stick with me until she arrives?" he asked suggestively.

Heather's face twisted in disgust for a moment, but then she forced herself to smile, and battered her unnaturally long eyelashes at him.

"Did you say you found a letter about Hiccup's dad?" she asked in a sweet voice, approaching him slowly. "How clever you must be to find something like that? Where did you manage to find it?" she asked, moving closer to him and trailing one long, painted fingernail over his shoulder.

Snotlout stammered, "Uh…yeah…that's me…clever." He nodded, a little flustered but puffing out his chest to appear manly. It didn't even occur to him to find out how she knew Hiccup. "It was on the back of an old painting in the library. I found it," he added with nervous excitement.

"How thrilling… What did it say?" Heather asked, circling behind Snotlout and dragging her fingers across his back to the other shoulder in a highly seductive manner.

Snotlout shivered. "Ummm…I can't remember. Something about his dad having evidence against some criminals or other," he told her vaguely. He didn't know and didn't really care. Right now, he was just impressed he had a beautiful girl fawning over him who had obviously fallen for his masculine charms.

She pouted her red lipsticked lips at him, leaning in close to his ear and murmuring in a sultry voice, "I would really like to know what was in that letter, Snotlout."

Despite the amorous attention, the young man was confused about her question. He asked, "Why?"

She leaned against his shoulder and lightly traced her finger around his ear, making him incredulously wide-eyed. "I'm very curious," she practically purred. "I think hidden letters are… exciting, don't you think? How about this…you find out about them for me…then come to my hotel to tell me all about it…alone," she ended on a low tone, brushing up against him suggestively.

"Uh….yeah…I can do that," Snotlout told her, gulping loudly. He had no interest in old letters AT all…but when a beautiful young woman invited him to her hotel as a reward for finding them…suddenly they were at the top of his priority list. He had absolutely no idea of where he would start looking for it though, but he was willing to find a way.

She gave him a slow wink. "Let's make this our little secret…shall we? Don't want anyone to know what we've been up to."

He was keen to tell everyone with an ear to hear, but he could play it cool too.

"O…Okay," he stammered.

-oOo-

Fishlegs knocked frantically on Gobber's front door.

The old man grumbled as he opened it. "What is it with everyone trying to destroy me door?" he asked with a frown.

"Oh…sorry," Fishlegs apologized. "But I need to see Hiccup urgently."

"Well, Hiccup is still asleep. He only went to bed about two hours ago," Gobber told him. "He's been up all night working on his plans to defend Berk."

"But this is important," Fishlegs insisted, pulling out the lost page from his pocket to show it to him. Gobber gave the husky lad a searching look, before taking the page and reading through it. What he found there left him open mouthed in shock.

"Aye, he'd want to see this right away," he agreed quietly. He lead the way into the room where Hiccup lay sleeping on the couch, his arm draped over his head and his mouth slightly open. Toothless looked up at the two of them as they approached.

"It's alright yer mangy mutt," Gobber told the wolf. "We're not going to hurt him."

He reached down to gently shake Hiccup's shoulder. "Hiccup, wake up." But the young man was dead to the world and it took a few more attempts before they could finally get a response from him.

"Was'up?" he mumbled, stretching out and yawning. He sat up and blearily looked over at his two tormentors. "Was' goin' on?" he slurred.

"I found it," Fishlegs told him soberly, handing him the paper. "I think Snotlout must have dropped it when he ripped open the envelope."

Hiccup cautiously took the piece of paper, and started reading it. The colour instantly drained from his face and his hands started shaking. He drank in every word, two, three, four times, then stood up to collect the other pages before reading it all together.

Fishlegs and Gobber watched him anxiously as his emotions played out over his face.

Hiccup now knew what had happened to his mother, and even more than that…where she was.

He looked up at the two of them. "I need Tuff."

-oOo-

Tuffnut and Ruffnut were busy in their coffee shop, due to the Saturday morning rush. And they were tired. Both had been at Gobber's house till late last night, talking with Hiccup and the others. They were the infamous 'masters of disasters' in Berk, so their advice had been requested many times during the process of designing defences for the town.

But they were on high alert when they saw Heather enter the shop with Snotlout following close behind like an over-sized black haired puppy.

"Good morning," Heather called out cheerily to the twins as they both stared at her with distaste.

"Morning," Ruff responded coolly before turning away and resuming her work.

"Oh," Heather faltered at the response and stopped, causing Snotlout to bump into her. "Watch it," she snapped at him.

"Sorry," he simpered behind her, before indicating towards an empty booth with a flourish. "A table for two," he told her with an expectant grin.

She gave an irritated sigh of annoyance, before plastering a fake smile on her face, and allowing herself to be guided into her seat. But she put a hand up when he went to slide in beside her. "How about you sit on the other side….where I can keep my eye on you," she told him coyly, breathing out in relief when he complied.

The silence was becoming awkward as Heather tapped her fingers on the table, and Snotlout openly stared at her. Neither Tuff nor Ruff made any attempt to approach their table, in fact they were chatting and laughing with some other customers. But finally Ruff had to walk past them, and Heather reached out to grab her as she did.

"Can we get some breakfast please?" she asked sweetly.

"I thought you two wanted to be alone," Ruff told her distantly.

"Oh no, NO," said Heather, emphasizing her response with a widening of her eyes. "I was hoping Astrid would be here," she said innocently.

Ruff narrowed her eyes in anger, and was about to let loose, when Astrid herself burst in through the door.

"RUFF!" she yelled as she rushed in, then stopped when she saw the two women and Snotlout all staring at her. She strode quickly over to her blonde friend and muttered in her ear, "I need to talk with you, later," before reaching down and grabbing Heather's arm to tug her out of her seat.

"You…get lost," Astrid commanded as she pointed at Snotlout, and flicked her hand dismissively.

Astrid practically dragged Heather into a corner booth, away from anyone who might accidentally overhear, much to the astonishment and surprise of Ruff and Tuff, who glanced towards each other in concern.

Astrid started in without preamble. "Did you call the police?" she demanded fiercely.

Heather's face immediately turned downcast. "Uh…no, not yet. I…was going to, but I ended up falling asleep. I thought I might do it later this morning…after breakfast?" she said apologetically, with a helpless shrug of her shoulders.

Astrid gave her a hard stare. "Fine…I'll wait for you to call, but if you don't…I'm going to," she warned her old friend. "He can't be allowed to get away with this. He needs to pay for what he did to you…and to his father," she said angrily.

Heather lowered her lashes, and nodded slowly. "You're right, of course. It's just been such a shock," she said quietly.

Astrid patted her hand. "I know," she sympathized. "Now…have you ordered breakfast yet?" she asked, looking around for Ruff.

Heather shook her head, "No…" She lowered her voice and glanced back over at Ruff who was eyeing them suspiciously. "I don't think she likes me very much," she told Astrid who reeled back in surprise.

"Ruff? Why would you say that?" she asked, her eyebrows raised. As far as she knew, Ruff didn't have a hateful bone in her body. Sure, she loved to create havoc with people, but never in anger.

Heather flicked her gaze back over to Ruff, before speaking to Astrid, "I think she's jealous…of you and me."

"Jealous?" Astrid was dumbfounded.

"Well, we used to be really close friends in high school…before I left. Then you and her became friends. So when I came back, we've been spending time together again and she's feeling left out. So she's jealous," she concluded.

Astrid was stunned at the entire idea, but it did kinda make sense. Ruff hadn't said anything when she called her last night, but she hadn't showed up either. Maybe what Heather said was true. Which saddened her. She didn't think Ruff would stoop so low.

"I'm sure it's your imagination," she told Heather. "Ruff's not like that," she defended with a shake of her head.

"Then why was she ignoring me this morning?" Heather questioned slyly. "I came in here and she brushed me off. In fact…I think she was about to yell at me when you walked in," she told Astrid as her eyes filled with tears. "I don't know why…I was only being nice."

Astrid frowned. Something felt off. But she couldn't put her finger on it. She waved Ruff over. "Can we have some breakfast please?" she asked with a smile, but was shocked to see the look of distaste that Ruff shot towards Heather. "Sure," she replied shortly, turning on her heel and marching off.

"Okaaay…that was odd," Astrid muttered to herself.

"See? Jealous," confirmed Heather.

Ruff returned with egg on toast and coffee for both, dropping it on the table with a startling bang. She was about to march off, when Astrid's arm shot out and gripped the other girl's wrist in an iron grip. "What's going on, Ruff?" she asked firmly.

"Nothing," Ruff responded, meeting Astrid's gaze head on. "But you should be careful of the company you keep," she warned.

This confused Astrid but seemed to confirm what Heather had said.

"Are you jealous?" Astrid asked, dropping Ruff's wrist in contempt.

"Jealous?" Ruff snorted. "Is that what she's telling you? You need to know…." whatever it was she needed to know wasn't about to be revealed as Tuff urgently came over and dragged his sister away from them. Astrid watched as the two hissed quietly at each other, their arms waving wildly.

"Very odd," she decided.

-oOo-

"What are you doing?" Ruff hissed at her brother.

"Hiccup called. He found out what happened to his mum and he wants me to go help search for her," he told her hurriedly. "I have to go straight away," he added.

"What? Are you going to leave me here with her? On my own?" she whispered savagely back.

"Yes…but you have to play nice. Remember what Hiccup said? Don't say or do anything that will cause her to know what we know, otherwise she'll know and…. uh, where was I again?" Tuff shook his head in confusion.

"Alright…I know what he said," Ruff groaned.

"Good…cause I'm not sure I know," Tuff frowned.

"Just go already," Ruff rolled her eyes.

She sighed in frustration as Tuff raced out the door. This was going to take all her acting skills and patience…she hoped Hiccup appreciated what this was going to cost her.

She grabbed some napkins and walked back over to Heather and Astrid. "Sorry about that before….bad coffee," she apologized with a forced grin.

-oOo-

Hiccup and Fishlegs were already in Hiccup's Ford waiting, when Tuffnut pulled up in his own ute. He barely had time to get out, before Hiccup was tersely demanding "Get in." He quickly jumped in the open passenger door, causing Fishlegs to bunch up uncomfortably in the middle. Toothless was riding high in the back. Nobody said anything, as Hiccup grimly put the truck in gear and spun the tyres as he headed towards the same area that he and Tuff had been less than two days before.

Tuff looked over at Hiccup's hardened features and decided he had better not chance asking him anything just yet…so he turned to Fishlegs instead, asking in a low voice, "What did the note say?"

Fishlegs gave a quick glance at their driver, before leaning towards Tuffnut. "His mum was taken trying to protect him as a baby, and when she tried to escape, they shot her. His dad found her out near the mines while she was dying and she told him what happened. She knew she was dying and told Stoick to protect their son and to never tell anyone that he found her, otherwise the bad guys would keep searching so they could take Hiccup and force his dad to help them with their criminal activities. She died in his dad's arms…." Tuff gave a gasp at this, and chanced another look at Hiccup. He could hear every word of their subdued conversation, and his face tightened as Fishlegs spoke. The big man continued, "Stoick buried Valka out here, and he wrote the location of the grave in the letter."

"Where is it?" asked Tuff.

Fishlegs told him. "It's inside a grove of trees, with a big boulder as a marker."

Tuffnut's eyes opened wide in surprise. "I know where she is…."

-oOo-

Ruffnut's morning could not have gotten any worse. She'd been forced to smile and be polite to that black haired, black hearted, conniving woman Heather, while she watched Astrid being pulled more and more deeply into the web of deceit the other girl was spinning around her…like a spider trapping a fly. Every time she had to leave their table to serve other customers, she would come back only to find Astrid staring at her with more and more fire in her eyes.

She had tried to keep the conversation as light as she could through gritted teeth, and had to fight the urge to slug the devil woman with a solid right hook, but she had done it. Despite the increasingly nasty and sarcastic comments Astrid had shot her way, Ruffnut had not responded in kind but she was mentally racking up all the things she was going to say in return, when she had a chance to knock some sense into that stubborn blonde's head.

Finally, her torment had ended when Astrid and Heather had left to go back to Heather's hotel room. But by the infuriated look on Astrid's face as she walked past, Ruff knew their next meeting wasn't going to be pleasant. She only hoped their friendship would survive the shock.

-oOo-

Tuffnut led Hiccup, Fishlegs and Toothless straight to his 'thinking space', hidden deep within a grove of trees and marked by a large boulder. He'd been coming here for many years knowing it was a grave, but never dreaming he would find out who was buried there. He'd always assumed it was the grave of an old miner from a long time ago.

When they arrived, Hiccup had been surprised to find a small fence created from old sticks tied together with twine, around the perimeter of the grave with a marker at the top stating simply 'V.H.'. There were even cut flowers placed around the edges.

He'd immediately fallen to his knees beside the grave in utter devastation, and Fishlegs and Tuffnut wisely chose to allow him some space to grieve. This was something that was going to hit hard. Toothless had sat beside his master, and leaned into him while Hiccup wrapped an arm around his furry friend for comfort, his shoulders shaking when he couldn't suppress his emotions any longer.

Tuffnut and Fishlegs sat quietly on a rock, swinging their heels but not saying anything while they waited patiently in the sun for their friend to come to terms with finally knowing what happened to his mother. That she had died to protect him.

The two could see Hiccup from their position, so were quick to notice when he finally stood up after a long while and dusted himself off. Standing up, they walked cautiously towards him at the same time he turned towards them. His expression was strained, but resigned at the same time.

"Did you do all this?" Hiccup asked Tuffnut quietly, pointing to the obviously cared for grave and fresh flowers.

Tuff shrugged. "Yup. I come here when I need space to think. I keep the grave clean and fix it up when needed. I never knew who was there, and I used to guess what 'V.H.' meant. If it means anything to you…your mum was a good listener."

Hiccup gave a short, ironic laugh. "And I spent my entire childhood wishing I had someone to listen to me."

He turned again to stare at the grave, taking note of the flowers before he noticed something odd.

"Why did you use a metal pipe as a flower holder?" he asked Tuff, pointing out the one piece of metal in amongst all the timber.

"It was already there when I found this place," Tuffnut told him. "I just figured whoever dug the grave must have put it there."

Hiccup squatted down to take a closer look at the pipe. "There's a sideways 'V' scratched into the pipe," he told them, rubbing his finger over it. "Tuff, do you know what it is?"

Tuffnut shook his head. "No…but there's one scratched in the boulder as well. I always thought it was a marker for the grave."

Hiccup stood up and strode towards the boulder, which was visible through the trees. It took a bit of searching to find the etching on the weather-darkened rock, but it was clearly a 'V', no mistake about it.

Fishlegs asked excitedly, "Do you think it means anything?"

Hiccup was thinking very carefully, glancing back at the grave, then to the rock again. "I'm not sure…but it seems a little odd to have a sideways 'V' pointing straight towards this boulder…then another 'V' pointing down."

He started to pace. "Why just a V? Why not a V.H.?...Hmmm….what if it's not a 'V', but an arrow?" he muttered to himself.

The other two glanced at each other eagerly.

"Do you think it might be like buried treasure?" asked Tuffnut, his hands waving around in his excitement.

"More like buried secrets," said Hiccup, as he kneeled down and started shifting the pile of loose rocks at the base of the boulder. The other two didn't require any prompting to get down and help, and the trio had soon shifted enough rocks and dirt to create a reasonably deep hole. Hiccup dragged one more rock out, when they all heard the distinctive sound of metal being scraped.

"Bingo," said Hiccup softly as they all hastily dug with their hands to reveal a small metal box. Hiccup lifted it out of its earthly prison and sat it on the ground in front of them. He dusted it off searching for a way in, but it was firmly welded shut, no keyhole in sight.

"Dang," said Tuffnut in disappointment. "How are we gonna find out what's inside?"

"With the right tools," was the answer.

-oOo-

Astrid was livid. She couldn't believe how blind she had been, first about Hiccup, and then surprisingly about Ruffnut. The three girls had all gone to school together, but Ruff hadn't really become a good friend until after Heather left. Of course, Ruff and Heather had never been chummy, but Astrid had been surprised to learn that Ruffnut had made several attempts to destroy Astrid and Heather's friendship.

Astrid couldn't believe how wrong she had been about the female twin all these years. She had at first been hesitant to believe that Ruff would do any of those things, but it had fitted in with what she remembered from school, and when she saw with her own eyes how negatively Ruff reacted to Heather, it was the final nail in the coffin.

They needed to have a 'talk', and soon.

After leaving the coffee shop, Astrid had followed Heather back to the hotel where she had tried once again to convince the girl to call the police, but Heather had told her she had a migraine coming on and needed to rest first before tackling such a phone call. Astrid had then practically demanded to make the call herself, but Heather had begged her not to, saying she wanted to do it. She asked Astrid to be patient a little longer, and she would do it later that day.

So Astrid had left her there, and started the car towards home.

-oOo-

Hiccup had dropped off Fishlegs and Tuffnut, before heading to the workshop with Gobber's keys. Pulling up outside, he paused to look at the small, innocuous metal box beside him on the seat.

"Well, Toothless…what do you think dad has left us in this one?" he asked the wolf as he ruffled his fur. "Only one way to find out I suppose."

After Hiccup had let himself and Toothless into the shop, he turned on all the lights then put the box on the bench. Flipping it over, he inspected it to find any weak spots, but could find none. He chuckled and turned to his wolf. "This is dad's work for sure…totally over engineered."

Grabbing a grinder and a pair of safety goggles, Hiccup set to work breaking the seal.

-oOo-

Astrid was furiously thinking about Ruffnut and Hiccup, not paying much attention to where she was going and ended up absentmindedly driving her car to 'The Forge Mechanics'. She was about to reprimand herself and turn around, when she noticed Hiccup's truck out the side. What was he doing here? Her eyes narrowed, and without even thinking about it, she pulled up beside his truck. She got out and marched through the open door.

She could hear the noisy grinder, and see sparks flying. Whatever he was working on, fell in half with a heavy 'clunk' on the bench. As the grinder gradually quieted down, her footsteps grew louder. Hiccup spun around, lifting his safety goggles in one fluid motion.

"Astrid?" he gasped in surprise.

"Hiccup," she growled, her expression fierce and deadly with her hands clenched tightly beside her. Striding rapidly over to him, she raised her fist to punch him in the face but he reacted so quickly, she was unable to comprehend the speed. He held her wrist with an iron grip, making her gasp in rage and frustration.

"That's not very nice," he warned.

"Let me go!" she shouted, tugging on her hand. He released her and stepped back, watching her carefully. "Don't touch me," she spat at him, rubbing her wrist where he had held her.

"Is it going to be like that, is it?" he asked. If she'd been paying attention, she would have noticed the dangerous quality to his voice. "I'm not allowed to touch you, but you have all the right in the world to attack me?" he asked sarcastically. "Little bit hypocritical, don't you think?"

"What's hypocritical is you…coming here, claiming to be some kind of victim. When all along it was Heather who was suffering. You dumped her…then killed your own father," she yelled as she backed up from him.

"Be careful what you believe," he warned.

Astrid snorted. "Yeah…I'd much rather believe my best friend from high school, then some low life that's been hanging around Berk for the past few days," she told him fiercely.

"Then believe this," he told her, lifting his left pant leg. She stared at it for a moment, before flicking her eyes back up to his face. She said nothing. Hiccup taunted her, dropping his jeans back over the false leg. "You don't seem surprised to see that, Astrid. Were you perhaps out for a stroll…and saw me in the woods?"

Her eyes betrayed her as she briefly glanced guiltily at him before staring past him at a spot on the wall…anywhere, that wasn't him.

He took a step forward and told her quietly, his voice heavy with controlled rage. "Do you know who gave me that, Astrid? None other than Dagur….brother of your so-called best friend, Heather. He caused a wall to fall on me… and left me for dead under a pile of rubble. If it wasn't for a friend, I would be dead. Instead I only got to lose a leg."

He noted the flash of surprise across her features, before her stubborn pride settled back into place, caused her to lift her chin at him.

"You could be telling me lies for all I know…I know how your lot work," she told him grimly, as she stood stiffly and on edge.

"Really? And why would I have reason to lie to you? To Gobber? To anyone here?" he asked, spreading his arms wide. "If you remember, I told you all to stay away from me. I didn't invite you into my life. I was only coming to find out the truth about who killed my father…and then I was leaving," he told her lowly.

"You killed him," she suddenly snarled at him. "I saw the letter you wrote to Heather. You told her that you were going to force your father to hand over the company…and that you didn't need Heather anymore…And then you killed him."

Hiccup was taken aback by this. "What letter?" he asked. "I never wrote any letter to her. I didn't want to take over my father's business….I was only nineteen for crying out loud," he suddenly snapped. He began to pace, running his hands through his hair in agitation and dismay. "What kid wants to run a business like that at nineteen? I wanted to explore the world…not tie myself down to a huge corporation."

The way he said it, made Astrid blink. She wanted to explore too and it tugged a little on her heart strings to think that was what he wanted as well.

He stopped pacing to face her, his face serious as he pleaded, "Think about this carefully Astrid. Does that really make sense to you?"

"I don't know if anything you say makes sense," she snapped back. She was getting a little confused. Heather had been her close friend at school. She never had any reason to doubt her before. But Hiccup….he was a lonesome stranger with a mysterious air and many secrets… a serious crime wouldn't look out of place on his persona. Although somehow, her gut was telling her to believe him. But she couldn't…if Hiccup was right, that meant Heather was feeding her outright lies. But why would she do that?

Hiccup stood up straight and gave her a look of pity, which Astrid found very confusing. Why was he pitying her?

"Tell me Astrid," he asked so very quietly. "Is she isolating you from your friends? Is she convincing you that she is the only one with the truth? That everyone else have been lying to you all this time?"

Astrid was startled. Yes, that's what had been happening. But Heather wasn't isolating her from her friends…she just chose not to talk with them. Heather had only been telling her some home truths about them all. And it hadn't been pleasant to find out about the lies…wait a minute.

"I see in your eyes that the answer is yes," murmured Hiccup, sadly. "She did the same thing to me…fed me lies about my father until I was refusing to talk with him unless it was through an argument. And you know what the hard part was? I never got to tell him how sorry I was. She was the reason that he died. And I never told him sorry."

Astrid felt her heart drop like a stone at his story. But only for a moment, before her determination picked up again.

"She is my friend," she stubbornly reinforced to Hiccup. "I know her. I don't know you." Her chin lifted up and she stared at him with pure malice. "In fact, I will be going straight back to her…and I will be calling the police!"

And with that, she spun on her heel and marched quickly out the shop before he had the chance to say anything else that might sway her.

She didn't see the pain and defeat in his eyes as he slumped dejectedly onto a stool.

"She's no friend to anyone, Astrid. I hope you see that before it's too late…for everyone."


	6. Chapter 6

**A big round of thanks go to aaquater for helping me fine tune this chapter.**

* * *

Hiccup stayed slumped on his stool for a few more minutes, before finally shaking himself and forcing himself to stand up.

"Sulking isn't going to get the job done," he reminded himself forcefully.

He tried to put Astrid out of his mind, instead turning towards the small metal box that he had managed to open. Everything had just become much more urgent. Because he knew it wouldn't be the police that Heather called.

Hiccup checked the box and found it full of newspaper clippings, photos and notes written in his father's hand. There was so much of it, and it had obviously been collected over a long period of time. Which could mean only one thing…his father had never given up collecting evidence against those that had cost Stoick his wife, his family and his home.

Hiccup skimmed through the contents, and picked up one note that looked relatively newer than the rest. His eyes opened wide as he read. It seemed the four men that had been charged with smuggling whilst Stoick was the Mayor, went on to secretly work for Drago 'The Alpha', under the disguise of the business that Alvin ran. His father suspected that Alvin's attempts at taking over 'Dragon's Edge Engineering' were mainly for revenge, as well as opportunistic.

Hiccup paused, frowning in concentration. He knew that once Alvin had forcefully taken over his dad's business, that it had immediately began to suffer. Without Hiccup as the main engineer, the 'Dragon's Edge' success had withered away. Which would have been a huge problem for Alvin…and perhaps Drago… if he intended to use the successful multi-national company as a cover for his smuggling operations. It would explain why they were so insistent on forcing Hiccup to work for them.

Hiccup went back over the notes, finding a sliver of hope written in his father's handwriting. One man had stood up against Drago. Oswald the Aggressor had changed his ways and become Oswald the Agreeable. What was even more important, was that he had left compelling evidence behind in the form of a book. Inside it was enough information to completely destroy Drago… and those working for him. Stoick, though, had never found it despite several attempts. The only thing he knew was that there was a code which would lead to where the evidence was hidden.

Hiccup remembered young Gustav who had been killed right in front of him. When he had cradled the boy's body in his arms, he'd noticed a scrap of paper in his bloodied hand. Gustav had written 'Code tattooed on Heather and Dagur', but at the time, it hadn't made any sense. Now he knew. The code to find Oswald's belongings, was inscribed on both of his children.

Hiccup sat back, totally blown away by this information. He, himself had been up close and personal with both of them, not necessarily in a good way. He tried to recall if he had noticed any unusual markings on either of them.

He frowned, trying to concentrate. But he found his thoughts being interrupted by images of Astrid. She believed he was a violent man, and this disturbed him. And not just because he knew this would lead to danger for her and the others. The fire in her eyes, and her determination to defend a friend…even if she had been duped…was a quality he admired. Her pride got in her way a fair bit, but underneath that was something that he was finding increasingly difficult to ignore.

The night he had kissed her…and she had kissed him back…come unbidden into his thoughts. He wondered what it would be like to really kiss her, while her arms wrapped around his neck….

Hiccup abruptly stood up and shook his head. No. That was never going to happen. And right now there was too much danger to even be thinking about it.

Grabbing the box and its contents, Hiccup called Toothless and strode out of the building, taking care to turn off the lights and lock the door as he went.

-oOo-

Fishlegs was riding his scooter back to his home, when he noticed Snotlout waving at him from the pathway.

Sighing in exasperation, he pulled over.

"What do you want, Snotlout? I'm not giving you a ride," he told him.

Snotlout snorted. "As if," he retorted. "I can barely _see_ the bike with you sitting on it. No, I want to know what was in that note the loser found," he demanded.

Fishlegs was immediately wary. "You mean Hiccup? You were there. Don't you remember?"

Snotlout huffed, "I don't need to know every detail. My brain has more important things to be filled with," he declared importantly.

Fishlegs rolled his eyes and muttered to himself, "Like hot air."

"What?"

"Nothing," sighed Fishlegs. "What do you want to know for?" he asked.

"Uh… no particular reason," stuttered Snotlout. "I've been looking for you guys everywhere. Where did you all go?" he asked petulantly.

"We were at Valka's grave, and found a secret box," said Fishlegs absently, before realising what he said and slapped a hand over his own mouth, his eyes wide.

"Dead people? You guys were looking at dead people?" Snotlout asked in disgust.

Fishlegs lowered his hand and slowly nodded, thinking he may have gotten away with his mistake.

"Urgh…why would you do that? Where's Tuffnut?" he demanded. "He'll tell me."

Fishlegs gave a small sigh in relief and shook his head. "I don't know. Last time I saw him he was headed for the coffee shop."

"Right," and without even a 'bye', Snotlout left.

Fishlegs watched him go, before shaking his head and getting back on the road.

That boy was incredibly dense sometimes.

-oOo-

The twins had decided to close up the shop early so they could prepare the building with booby traps. The little cafe was all they had and they weren't prepared to let it go without a fight. They were standing outside when a furious Astrid pulled up and leapt out of her car, heading straight for Ruffnut.

"You!" she shouted, pointing at Ruff. "I trusted you. I thought you were my _friend_."

Ruff sneered back, "I could say the same about you, but as soon as that vixen came back, you drop me like a hot potato and believe everything she says. I never picked you for a fool Astrid, but you're sure acting like one."

Astrid reeled back as if she'd been struck, but soon was fiercely staring the other girl down again. "The only foolish thing I have done is listen to you," she declared loudly. "Heather told me all the stuff that you did at school. You tried to break us up," she accused.

Ruff inexplicably lifted her head up and laughed bitterly. "Is that what she told you? I have to give it to her…she's good."

This just confused Astrid more. "What are you talking about?" she demanded.

"Heather was the jealous one…not me. Ever wonder why you never had any other friends at school? That was all her doing. Every time somebody else got close to you, Heather would set up some _problem_ that she would 'rescue' you from, and then you would be all over her again, thinking how great she was," Ruff told her sarcastically. "Face it Astrid…the girl's a raving psychopath…and she's got her talons in you."

"No! You're wrong," Astrid stammered, her mind reeling. This couldn't be true. "She…she told me that Hiccup used her…and killed his father," she declared desperately, the high school friendship she had cherished for so long becoming more and more shattered.

Ruff shrugged. "I believe Hiccup. He said that Heather used him…and that because of _her_ , his father died. Her own brother has been hunting Hiccup down all these years….Think about it Astrid. Hiccup comes to town trying to find the truth, knowing that he has a madman on his tail. Then conveniently two days later…Heather turns up. The same girl that you haven't seen or heard from since she left Berk. And on top of that, she's not looking for you…she's here to see a _friend_."

Astrid shook her head frantically. "No! She's not like that. I _know_ her."

Ruff sighed sadly at her friend. "No Astrid. You never knew her. She used you. Just like she did everyone else."

"But I saw them at 'The Outcasts'. He was angry and was about to hit her. You weren't there. I was, and I saw it happen," she told Ruff, her face hardening again at the memory.

"Actually…" Ruff began. "I was there."

"What?" asked Astrid in amazement. "I didn't see you."

"I saw you …fall for her performance hook, line and sinker," Ruff told her sadly. "I also saw her come back in and talk to Mildew. She's working with her brother, Astrid."

"No!" Astrid shouted, staggering backwards. "You're lying… She's my best friend."

"Then you backed the wrong team," Ruff told her.

"NO!" Astrid didn't know what to think anymore, so she turned and fled back to her car.

-oOo-

Snotlout needed to ask Tuffnut a question to show that sinfully beautiful woman Heather how smart he was. But when Snot found the man in question, he was laying cable outside the shop with his sister.

"What are you two doing?" he asked brusquely.

"We're laying a rabbit trap," said Tuffnut calmly as he continued to work.

"Yeah… lots of pesky rabbits round here," added Ruffnut.

"Huh?" replied Snotlout scratching his head. "I didn't know we had rabbits?"

"They like to disguise themselves to look like ducks."

"Ohh…that explains it. I think?" Snotlout was still confused.

"Well, it was nice talking with ya. Thanks for dropping by," said Ruff as she stood up.

"Okay. Bye then," said Snotlout, walking away. He was totally confused.

"What a doofus," remarked Ruff, shaking her head.

-oOo-

Astrid walked up to Heather's hotel door, feeling the strain of two conflicting cords of friendship. She desperately needed to find out who was telling the truth... and who wasn't. Just as she was about to knock, she heard voices. Astrid paused, then lightly pressed her ear up to the door, not believing she was actually doing this.

Listening carefully, she could hear Heather's voice sounding unusually harsh and calculating. A male voice Astrid didn't know, answered Heather. But then the man gave a maniacal laugh which made Astrid shudder. A different male voice then spoke, one Astrid thought she recognized although it was further away.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps heading for the door and Astrid urgently stepped back. She wasn't sure what she should do, when the door burst open making her jump in fright.

"Astrid? What are you doing here?" Heather asked once she had gotten over the shock, while pulling the door shut behind her to block Astrid's view into the room.

"I…uh…came to see you," Astrid stuttered. "But I thought I heard voices, so I can come back another time."

"Nonsense," Heather told her, grabbing her upper arm firmly and pulling her away from the door. "I was only watching tv, but I need to go to the front desk. Let's go to the foyer so we can talk."

Astrid tensed at the obvious lie, but said nothing further while Heather forcefully guided her to a couch in the lounge area of the hotel. After they were seated, the black haired girl said, "So, I guess you've come to ask if I've called the police or not? Well, you'll be happy to know I did. They'll be coming for him later today."

"Ohh," murmured Astrid uneasily. Earlier today, she would have rejoiced, but now…it suddenly seemed wrong. What she had just heard at Heather's door was not the girl she thought she knew. Everything that Hiccup and Ruffnut told her began to roll around in her head, overwhelming her. Without thinking, she replied quietly, "That's...that's good. I mean...I never really liked him anyway."

Heather was instantly alert. "What?" She paused as she scrutinized the blonde woman in front of her. "Was Hiccup the one that you had a crush on?" she asked shrewdly.

"No, no…not really," Astrid stumbled over her own lie as she avoided the other girl's stare. The desire to get away began to urgently tug on her mind.

"He was, wasn't he?" said Heather, smiling broadly. She reached over and patted Astrid's hand. "It's okay. You're better off without him. I mean…he is a criminal don't forget."

Astrid pulled her hand away, her eyes snapping back up to Heather's as she eyed her carefully. With that sentence, the last fragile cord of friendship was finally broken.

"It's just a shock, to find out the person I thought I could trust…can't be trusted anymore."

-oOo-

Meanwhile, Hiccup was back at Gobber's house, which had become Planning Central. He was searching through the rest of the notes with Gobber, looking for any further clues as to what the code might be. Hiccup was trying to remember if he'd ever seen anything unusual tattooed on either of the Berserker siblings, but so far nothing was springing to mind.

"Nothing, Hiccup," Gobber sighed, dropping the notes he was reading back in the box. "These notes all seem to stop about a year before yer father died. He must've come out and buried them in secret, cause I don't remember him ever being here."

Hiccup was startled at this revelation. That was about the same time as Alvin started hassling his father and demanding they join with his company. Obviously, his father must have suspected something would happen and wanted to keep his research safe. Hiccup started pacing, running his hands through his hair in agitation. "I feel like I should know what the code is…but I just can't remember," he despaired.

"It'll come to yer," soothed Gobber. "In the meantime, why don't you check over the map of Berk again…and see where else we'll need to build up our defences."

Hiccup paused, then frowned. "Sure…we haven't got much time left," he decided before striding back over to the table where several of the Mayor's trusted friends and villagers were planning a line of defence.

-oOo-

Astrid was still sitting on a couch with Heather in the lounge of the hotel, when Snotlout walked in through the foyer. Heather's eyes widened as she saw him, but Astrid was facing away from him and didn't notice. Snotlout saw the two and his grin spread egotistically wide, thinking he was being rewarded with not one, but two beautiful women. Just for him.

The Snotman was on a roll.

He started strutting arrogantly towards them, thinking he had it made, but Heather leaned casually behind Astrid and frantically waved for him to stop.

Snotlout paused in confusion, which only deepened when Heather started pointing around the corner instead. Snotlout lifted a bewildered brow. What did she want him to do? He lifted his hands up in question, shrugging his shoulders.

Heather's face dropped in disbelief, before she scowled angrily at him. The black haired man pulled back in alarm. What had he done to deserve that reaction? He shifted uneasily, unsure of what to do next.

She rolled her eyes and slapped her own face.

Astrid turned to Heather and eyed her cautiously. "You okay?"

Heather plastered a smile on her face and dropped her arm behind Astrid, continuing to discretely indicate to a confused Snotlout to hide behind the corner.

"Uh… Yeah. Headache still bothering me," Heather lied while managing to suppress a sigh of relief when Snotlout finally walked disappeared from sight. "I'm sorry, Astrid. It's been quite an ordeal. I think I might head back to my room for a while."

"Okay," replied Astrid hesitantly as she stood up. She gave the other woman a sorrowful look before leaving, the invisible shreds of a once cherished friendship lying scattered on the floor.

-oOo-

Hiccup was feeling frustrated. There was still so much work to do in a short amount of time and he didn't know how they were going to get through it all in time. The code was bothering him. He felt like it was truly important to find that book, and find it soon. But how could they? Even if they found the code, they would still have to decipher it before they could even hope to find the book.

He abruptly stood up and shook his head. He needed to think. And there was always one thing that helped him to think. Grabbing his keys, he called out to Toothless and strode out the door.

-oOo-

Astrid was feeling quite distressed about the whole situation, and she wanted to talk with Ruff as she normally did when she was upset. But the last time they had spoken hadn't gone so well. Astrid shook her head, it didn't matter. She still needed to have this out with Ruff. So, with that in mind, she headed off to find her.

Pulling up outside the shop, Astrid could see they were in the middle of something….probably dangerous. Getting out of the car, she braced her shoulders and frowned. This was not going to be pretty.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut both looked up to see a determined looking Astrid heading straight for them.

Ruff nodded to her brother. "Time to get extreme, bro," she told him.

He glanced over at Astrid, and collected a length of coiled rope from his supplies before joining Ruffnut in walking towards the other blonde. It felt like they were heading for a gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

"What are you two doing?" Astrid asked cautiously, as she eyed off the rope.

"Kidnapping you," Ruff told her casually while Tuff circled behind her. Astrid hesitated for a moment too long, and that was all the opening the twins needed. Within minutes, the siblings had a very surprised and highly agitated Astrid trussed up, her hands and feet bound together. She hadn't gone down easy, and even now she was cussing loudly at them.

Ruff tore off a piece of tape and covered Astrid's mouth with it.

"Ahh…much better," grinned Tuffnut.

The two siblings picked up the struggling blonde, and stuffed her into the back seat of her own car.

Tuff grunted, "Sister…you better lay off those cream pies…you weigh a ton."

Astrid frowned and made a noise of objection while Ruff backhanded her brother.

"Hey! You don't say that to a girl. Especially Astrid."

The girl herself rolled her eyes at them both as she wriggled around to sit up. The siblings jumped into the front seat of Astrid's car, and Tuff soon had the car in motion.

Ruff turned to her reluctant backseat passenger and told her, "This is for your own good. We're off to find Hiccup… to find out the real truth about Heather."

-oOo-

Heather found Snotlout and frowned. "What do you think you were doing?" she said harshly.

He shrank back at her tone. "Uh…nothing?" he offered feebly.

Heather face palmed, then took in a few deep calming breaths. Finally, she turned to him with a seductive smirk and Snotlout relaxed again.

"So…Snotlout. Did you find out what was in those letters?" she asked in her most dulcet tones.

"Ahh….no," he admitted reluctantly.

She stared at him flatly. "What?" Her voice became low and dark, causing Snotlout to shrink back in fear. He'd been on the receiving end of Astrid's wrath often enough to know when he was in trouble.

"Then what are you doing here?" she asked him through gritted teeth. "I thought I asked you to bring me back information."

Snotlout whimpered pathetically, before remembering something. He brightened. "I did…bring you information, I mean." He pushed out his chest proudly. "They were looking at dead people…and possibly rabbits."

Heather looked at him as if he'd grown a second head. "Again… _what_?" she demanded irritably.

Snotlout wasn't so sure now. "Um, yeah…that's what Fishlegs said. They went to a grave for ….Veronica?"

Heather had to take another calming breath before answering. "And what did they do at the grave?" she asked testily.

He cringed. "I don't know…graves are creepy. Maybe they dug up some bones?" he offered, still hoping for his 'reward'.

Heather huffed. "Are you seriously that idiotic?" she shouted before shoving him towards the door.

He stumbled, before muttering to himself, "Boy…some gratitude. Who cares about some grave and a secret box anyway."

Heather froze. "What did you say?" she asked loudly.

He cringed, ""Uh…nothing, nothing…I'll go now," he told her quickly before she could yell at him some more.

She smiled and forced herself to walk seductively towards the black haired man. "Come now, Snotlout," she almost purred. "I was having a bad afternoon…now what did you say about a secret box?"

He grinned proudly. "What will be my reward?" he asked slyly.

She rolled her eyes. "The usual… you come to my hotel…now what about the box?"

"They found it at a grave," he said as he swaggered towards her. "I want my reward now."

"Is that it? Is that all you have?" she asked incredulously.

"What more do you want?" he asked in confusion, seriously beginning to question why he was putting in so much effort for this girl. Working hard was not usually his style.

"Duh? What's in the box would be a good starter," she mocked him.

He huffed. "So no reward till I find out what's in the box?" he guessed.

She poked him in the forehead. "Finally…some brains are starting to show," she told him, before walking away. "Come back when you find out."

He stomped back outside. "I'm starting to think this is all a trick. I don't think there is a reward," he grumbled as he walked away. "How am I supposed to find out what's in the box?" he complained to himself.

-oOo-

Tuffnut and Ruffnut drove Astrid's car round to the mechanics shop, but found it locked up tight. They went to Gobber's next, only to find Hiccup wasn't there either. Although Gobber had raised an eyebrow when he saw the fuming blonde trussed up in the backseat of her own vehicle. He had left them to it, much to Astrid's chagrin. She decided that was the last time she ever made him coffee at work.

Tuffnut was puzzled. "Do you think Hiccup went back to his mum's grave?"

Ruff shrugged. "Maybe. But we won't get there in this little thing."

Astrid gave an offended 'humph' on behalf of her car.

Still, they dragged Astrid down to the gravesite, (after untying her feet) where she couldn't help but feel a little sad after hearing about what happened to Hiccup's mum from the twins. She felt sorry for him, losing his mother when he was so young…then his father too.

While they headed back towards the car, the siblings puzzled over where the elusive Hiccup could possibly be. Astrid's eyes opened wide as she thought of a place.

Ruff noticed. "You know something, don't you?' she asked bluntly. When Astrid gave no response, Ruff advised her cheerfully, "If you want to get out of these ropes, then you had better tell. Otherwise we may just have to leave you tied up at Gobber's until Hiccup gets back."

Astrid scowled at her. She had no doubt they would carry out their threat…and probably more.

Reluctantly she nodded, her mouth still taped.

"Good girl," said Ruffnut with a cackle. "Wise choice."

So Astrid found herself directing the twins with eye rolls, nods and head shakes deep into the woods. Ruff, of course, found this all highly amusing.

"So how did you know he was back here?" she asked. "Sightseeing were you," she guessed, making Astrid blush deeply and mumble angrily at her captor.

"What's that, Astrid?" Ruffnut teased, her hand cupping her ear. "I can't hear you."

Astrid could only frown, but retribution was something she looked forward to when this was all over.

The twins once again dragged their 'victim' between them while they headed towards the sounds of 'thwacks' and 'thuds' that echoed through the trees. The trio were surprised to find Hiccup in the middle of a small clearing littered with shattered timber, as he feverishly obliterated a crudely crafted wooden sparring dummy, with rapid fire jabs, hooks and violent spinning kicks. He continued till finally his 'opponent' cracked, then exploded with one powerful kick.

'Blast!' he shouted in angry frustration. Hiccup went to pick up his axe to build another one. "They don't last long enough," he complained to Toothless. It was only then he realised he had company.

"Woah, Hiccup!" exclaimed Ruffnut, her eyes raking over his sweating, shirtless body. "Looking hot," she announced.

He gave a small grin at that, before his eyes rested on a very flustered and embarrassed Astrid. "Uh, what's going on?" he asked, indicating her taped mouth and tied hands.

"We kidnapped her," said Tuff proudly.

"Why?" Hiccup asked as he came closer.

"We brought her here to you, to force her to accept that Heather is an evil, conniving, manipulative deceiver with a black heart," she finished.

Hiccup chuckled. "Did you fit enough adjectives in there, Ruff?" he asked drily.

She shrugged. "I can think of a few more but Tuff won't like those ones," she said while Tuff shook his head in distaste.

Hiccup threw his head back and gave a short laugh. He finally stood in front of Astrid and smiled gently at her. She watched him with wide eyes as he quietly cupped her chin to force her to look at him. His eyes searched hers before he said softly, "I don't think we have a problem anymore, do we?"

She lowered her eyes in shame and shook her head. He wiped his thumb over the tape on her mouth.

"Will it be okay if I remove this?"

She hesitated, then nodded. She squeezed her eyes tight as he pried the tape off.

"Yeouch!" she yelled after it was finally off. "Ruffnut, if you try something like that ever again I will rip your arms off," she immediately threatened.

Ruff rolled her eyes, "Can you put that back on please, Hiccup? I liked it better when she was quiet."

Hiccup was still standing close in front of Astrid, so he calmly cupped her chin and gently rubbed his thumb over her swollen lips.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern knitting his brow.

Astrid had to suppress a shiver at his touch. Instead she blushed as she nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. Although I don't know why I had to be tied up," she said loudly towards her friend, tossing her a furious look. Hiccup silently released her wrist bindings before taking her hands in his to rub them gently to encourage the blood to flow again. She blushed then shyly smiled a 'thank you' to him before reluctantly pulling her hands away.

Ruffnut leaned casually against a tree. "You wouldn't believe us about Heather being a liar, so we had to force you to listen."

Astrid grimaced at the reminder.

"Seemed like the only way," Ruff shrugged. "Well…the only fun way," she amended.

Astrid exhaled slowly. "Ruff…I was actually coming to say sorry to you…to all of you," she admitted shamefully, dropping her eyes to the ground.

"Oops," Ruff giggled. "My bad."

Astrid couldn't believe that she had been so stupid as to believe Heather's lies. "I'm sorry, Ruff. I've been a total idiot."

"No arguments here."

Astrid frowned, but felt she deserved that. She stood forlornly by herself until Ruff came to stand beside her, affectionately bumping shoulders with the guilt-ridden blonde.

"Hey, don't sweat it. We're good. Still besties, right?"

Astrid shot her a grateful look. "Yeah," she replied softly, not really believing that Ruffnut was willing to forgive her so easily.

"I forgive you too," sniffed Tuffnut in a tremulous voice, overcome with the sheer emotion of the touching scene between the two girls.

Both women shot him a dry glare, which went totally unnoticed by the intended recipient.

Hiccup… who had been observing Astrid closely the whole time… now grinned, glad things were finally back on an even keel amongst the small group.

Astrid was relieved that the tension between her and Ruff had dissolved, but she was still missing important information that the others apparently already knew. She eyed Hiccup nervously. "Could you…could you tell me what _really_ happened…please?" she asked quietly.

Hiccup shrugged. "Sure...but you might wanna take a seat. This could take a while," he advised as he settled into a squat, his back against a tree and his arms resting on his knees.

-oOo-

Astrid had listened quietly throughout all of Hiccup's retelling of what had happened to him...including Heather's treachery leading to the death of Stoick Haddock. She said nothing, but her mind was reeling with so many emotions rolling over each other that it was almost impossible to tell which had prominence.

She knew Hiccup was watching her, but she had no words right now. She was still processing all the information he had told her about Heather...which was pretty much the total opposite of what her supposed friend had led her to believe. Feelings of rage at unknowingly being the victim of Heather's obsessions rolled over for guilt at all the wrongful accusations she had thrown at Hiccup and her real best friend, Ruffnut. It was soon followed by hurt at having her trust broken so completely by somebody she had thought she'd known for years, then swallowed up by shame for being such a fool. Revenge tried to make an appearance, but it seemed the shame wasn't willing to leave her alone for now.

Her attention was diverted from her inner turmoil when Tuffnut posed a question to Hiccup. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

Her eyes snapped towards Hiccup, curious about why the man's posture had stiffened so rigidly.

"You don't wanna know," was the terse reply.

"Sure I do," Tuff said affably, seemingly oblivious about Hiccup's tense stance. "It's not like you killed somebody," he half-joked.

Even the trees held their breath in the utter silence that greeted that statement. Incredulous stares of three others jolted Tuffnut into awareness of what he'd just said. He paled.

"Ah...not like that...I mean, I know...we know that you didn't kill anybody," Tuff stumbled over his tongue, trying to explain his gaff. But at Hiccup's continued unease he felt compelled to cautiously add, "Unless you did...did you?"

Hiccup immediately shut them out, the dark veil back over his clenched jaw and hardened features. Ruffnut nudged her brother, hard.

"He hasn't killed anybody," she hissed overly loudly, not even bothering to take the chance to smack her 'speak-now-think-later' brother.

Astrid was paying close attention to Hiccup through hooded eyes. Yes, it had been a very badly chosen word choice, but something else apart from the obvious seemed to be bothering him.

"Hiccup?"

Astrid surprised herself with the soft sound of his name falling from her lips.

He glanced at her, his gaze guarded. Astrid could see the turmoil he was trying to keep under control and she was reminded sharply that for all his willingness to tell them parts of his story, this man had still led a difficult life. There was no doubt many parts of it that he would be reluctant to tell others about.

"You can tell us…but only if you want to," she added gently. "We won't judge you." Which was kind of an ironic statement coming from her. Because she had judged him. Not anymore, though.

The twins were uncharacteristically silent, but their serious expressions showed that they too shared the same opinion.

He held her gaze for a moment longer than dropped it. He shuddered, blowing out a shaky breath.

Hesitantly, Hiccup started to tell the three of them some of the harsher realities of his life, a story he'd very rarely told before. How he'd been forced to live on the streets with not much more than his wits and Toothless to keep him alive. Being on the 'Most Wanted' list meant he had needed to keep clear of wherever the police…or Dagur…would be likely to find him. Meaning he usually ended up in the shadiest parts of the towns he travelled between, where nobody asked questions. Never sure where his next meal was coming from, he often slept with one eye open because he didn't want to be snuck up on while he was vulnerable. For that part, Toothless had ended up protecting him on many occasions…sometimes permanently.

"Didn't anybody try to help you?" asked Astrid, horrified to hear what Hiccup had to bear all on his own. She was struggling to comprehend how it would feel to live like that.

Hiccup shrugged. "Yeah…there were a few who tried. But I was always looking over my shoulder, not knowing who to trust. Dagur was offering big money to anybody who dobbed me in, so I had to be careful of who I spoke to. Dagur was also very good at finding those who genuinely wanted to help me, and he would normally either scare them off or use them to try and catch me. I had to learn fast how to fight so I could get away. Some...friends...helped me with that, teaching me some fighting techniques. The rest I had to learn myself. But in the end it became easier not to talk to anybody…till you lot came along."

He eyed off Tuffnut in particular. "You sure don't know the meaning of the word 'No', do you?"

Tuffnut beamed happily. "Nope."

Ruffnut wore an identical broad grin, and Astrid couldn't help but feel a touch proud of her mad friends. Unlike her, they had insisted on pushing themselves into Hiccup's world, fully convinced of his worth. Despite the danger Hiccup kept warning them about, they were not prepared to back down. Astrid wondered if this Dagur guy knew what he was in for if he ever came up against the twins.

Ruffnut cackled mischievously and Astrid had the sneaking suspicion the other girl had been listening in on her thoughts again.

"If Dagur or any of them no-hopers show up here, they'll be on the receiving end of a Thurston Special," Ruff told Hiccup with a calculating gleam in her eye.

Yep. The girl was an uncanny mind reader.

"Now all we need is to find a way to dig that code out of your brain," added Tuffnut. "And Dagur will be out of business permanently," he decided.

Astrid agreed.

Hiccup stood up, dusting himself off. "On that note, we had better go back in. I came out here to think but I haven't come up with anything yet."

The twins and Astrid stood too. Walking back towards their vehicles, Astrid fell slightly behind the others. She was in a melancholy mood, still feeling ashamed of what she had done. Hearing about Hiccup's troubles had only made her feel worse, knowing that Heather had been the cause of a lot of it. She didn't know how she was going to shake it.

At the gentle touch on her shoulder, Astrid's head shot up to find Hiccup looking at her. His gaze was just as pained as hers, and they shared a look of understanding about their common enemy. She found the corner of her lip lifting slightly, taking comfort in the knowledge that he knew what she was going through.

His hand fell back to his side, and they walked companionably side by side the rest of the way.

-oOo-

Once they all arrived back at Gobber's house, Hiccup had very quickly disappeared for a shower. Now he stepped shirtless out of the bathroom, drying his hair with the towel wrapped around his neck. He was grinning from ear to ear as he told Gobber, Fishlegs, the twins and Astrid, "I remember."

"Great!" said Tuffnut. "What did you remember?" he asked in a bored tone.

"The Code. That's what," Hiccup told Tuff.

"Well lad…don't keep us in suspense…spit it out," demanded Gobber.

"Heather has '3' tattooed behind her ear…and Dagur has a 'H'," Hiccup told them all.

"So it's a 3 and a H. Now what do we do with that information?" deadpanned Ruffnut.

"Uh…don't know," admitted Hiccup. "I haven't got that bit sorted yet."

"Is it like an address?" asked Fishlegs, screwing his nose up in thought.

"Yeah, like all we need to do is find a street named 'H' and we're good," decided Tuffnut.

His sister smacked him up the back of his head. "Dude! There's no street named that."

He glared at her as he rubbed his head. "You'd probably never be able to read the street sign if there was," he retaliated.

Ruff was about to land a snarky retort when Hiccup put up his hand to stop them. "Much as I'm looking forward to this stimulating conversation…we need to get back to work. We'll think about it as we go, alright?"

The twins glared at each other, then shrugged. Tuff turned to grin at Hiccup, "Plan more destruction and mayhem? I'm there."

"Me too. What are we going to blow up next?" Ruff asked, eagerly stepping up to the table were they had a map of Berk and its surroundings laid out.

Hiccup threw down his towel on the chair and picked up a clean shirt instead, throwing it over his head. Ruff pouted and Astrid noticed. She frowned at the other girl, who took no notice.

Fishlegs pointed towards the shoreline marked on the map. "Do we have this area covered yet?" he asked worriedly.

"Good point," nodded Hiccup. He turned to Tuff. "Didn't you say there were tunnels all over Berk? Does anyone else know about them?" he asked seriously.

Tuff shrugged. "Yeah, plenty of old people like Gobber do," he told Hiccup before being clobbered by Gobber.

"Watch who you calling old," the mechanic warned the younger man, as Tuff gave him a _'what tha?_ ' look and rubbed the back of his head again.

Hiccup lifted a brow and snorted.

Ruff spoke up. "That's how the smugglers used to get into Berk in the old days…through the tunnels," she told Hiccup who appeared quite disturbed by this news.

"Can we defend them?" he asked seriously.

Ruff gave an evil grin, "We can put a serious dent in their plans," she confirmed. "Just give us the word and we'll light up the sky," she promised.

Hiccup couldn't help but wonder what on earth he had gotten himself into with the twins.

He leaned over the table. "Okay…show me on the map where the tunnel entrances are," he instructed, the twins quickly pressing forward to eagerly point out their favourite haunts.

Fishlegs picked up a pen and paper. "Tell me the co-ordinates," he asked.

Hiccup was about to read out what the twins were pointing to, when he paused and stared at the map.

"Hiccup? What ye thinkin' about?" asked Gobber slowly as he watched Hiccup frown and mumble to himself while he traced his finger over the map.

"It's the map!" he suddenly shouted, abruptly standing up straight and wildly throwing his hands in the air.

Ruff slowly leaned towards her brother while giving Hiccup a strange look. "I think he's finally lost it, bro," she murmured to him.

Hiccup hurriedly shook his head, "No! I mean it's the map."

Tuff leaned towards his sister. "I agree. You still got that rope?"

Hiccup glared at the two. "Don't even think about it," he growled before stabbing his finger on the map. "3H is a map co-ordinate," he told them.

"H3," corrected Fishlegs. Hiccup lifted an eyebrow at the irony. Of _course_ the code would be the same as his own signature.

Astrid had been quietly sitting in the corner watching the rest talk. She gave a jolt when she realised where she had heard 'H3' before. It was on the letter that Heather had shown her…supposedly written by Hiccup Haddock.

Tuff leaned over to inspect the map. "That's where Smuggler's Cave is," he told the others excitedly. He turned to Hiccup. "Do you think that's where the book is?" he asked, his eyes shining with the expectation that another adventure was about to begin.

Hiccup grinned. "Sounds like a good place to start," he decided.

Just then, Toothless stood up and growled, his hackles raised. Hiccup was immediately on the alert, picking up an old exhaust pipe that Gobber had leaning up against the wall. He motioned for the others to all be quiet while he stealthily headed towards the front door and slipped through.

Nothing more could be heard, except for Toothless growling. So they all jumped when they heard Hiccup yell, _"Snotlout_? What are you doing here?"

"Uh…nothing?" the black haired man defended himself, shrinking a little under Hiccup's fierce glare.

"Then why are you sneaking around the house?" Hiccup asked suspiciously. By this time the others had come outside, and were surrounding Snotlout.

He eyed them all nervously. "I wasn't sneaking," he denied hotly. "I was just…looking for Astrid," he said, brightening as he saw the blonde at the back of the group. Astrid's lips twitched in annoyance as Snotlout desperately lurched towards her.

She stepped back when Tuff and Ruff stepped in front of her, blocking Snotlout. They crossed their arms.

"Do you have an appointment?" Ruff asked, staring down at the egotistical young man.

"No," Snotlout said in confusion.

Tuff spoke up. "Do you wish to make an appointment?" he asked.

Snotlout raised his eyebrows. "Yes?" he asked it as a question, not really sure of where this was going.

"Okay. She has an opening in her schedule next week. You can come back then," Ruff told him.

"Uh…but she's right there," Snotlout told them, quite perplexed as he pointed towards the glowering blonde girl.

Hiccup stepped forward. "Unless you have a real reason to be here…I suggest you leave," he advised the black haired man firmly. Toothless stood beside him, his fierce low growl more than enough to convince Snotlout to hurriedly move on.

"Fine, I don't want to be here, anyway," he yelled over his shoulder as he scampered off.

The twins laughed while Fishlegs nervously chuckled. Astrid sat quietly fuming and Hiccup stood thoughtfully staring down the road with his hands on his hips.

"I wonder what that was about," he said to himself.

-oOo-

Astrid was sitting quietly in the corner, observing all the activity in the house. Ruffnut had briefly explained the preparations that were taking place to defend Berk, and Astrid was feeling quite depressed about the resistance she had caused. She should have been here, fulfilling her part to take care of her town, not creating problems because of her own gullibility.

Hearing about what Hiccup had been forced to go through as a result of Heather's treachery, had only made her feel worse. And yet despite all this, Hiccup was putting forth every effort to help their small town when he could have easily just left them to fend for themselves.

She found herself envious, watching the easy relationship between Hiccup and her friends. Even the other villagers who were coming and going from the house held him in respect. They listened to him, and he listened to them. Observing from her corner, she could see his ingenuity in the way he carefully analysed any problems before coming up with logical solutions.

Astrid sighed heavily. It stung to see how the others had accepted him, while she had been basically fighting against him from the moment she first met him. It made her feel ashamed at what she had done, even if she had been duped. Although that knowledge didn't make the situation seem any better.

Astrid could feel her chest tightening in despair as she realised that everything she had ever assumed about this man, was completely wrong…and just how much out of her depth she was. She had nothing to offer him, even if he was interested. And why should he be? After all she had done to him? She couldn't believe, that after all these years of hurt and disappointment, she had found exactly what she had been searching for in this totally unassuming stranger….before she had gone and ruined it by pushing him away with her stubborn pride.

By now, Astrid was feeling pretty miserable and useless. She could see everyone there had a role to play and she didn't, so she decided it was time to go. Trying hard not to disturb anyone, Astrid got up to leave. She had made it outside the house, before she heard her name being called.

"Astrid!"

Turning towards the voice, she was startled to find Hiccup hurrying after her. She waited until he had caught up.

"Where are you going?" he asked, his head tilted to one side quizzically.

She shrugged. "Home, I guess. Not much I can do here," she told him sadly.

He studied her for a moment.

"I know it's been a difficult day for you…but please understand, we need your help too," he assured her kindly. "We need all the trusted people we can find."

She pressed her lips together in obvious misery. "That leaves me out then," she told him bitterly. "I couldn't even see the blatant truth about Heather when everyone else did."

To her surprise, Hiccup leaned forward to give her a comforting hug. She held herself a little stiff in shock, but the moment was over before she had time to register it.

She was feeling quite lost as she watched him with wide eyes. He smiled.

"It's okay, Astrid. We all understand. You had no reason to doubt her. In fact, I think you showed a lot of courage sticking up for a friend, even though we were all against her. That's something I admire about you."

Astrid's mouth fell open at his words, and she could only blink owlishly at him. He placed a finger under her chin to close her mouth, then shifted his hand to her shoulder. "Why don't you have a good rest tonight, and come back in the morning," he advised her. "We could really use your help."

She nodded dumbly, feeling the warmth of his hand through her shirt before he removed it. She turned and continued to her car. As she climbed in, she glanced up to see that he was still there, watching her while she reversed out of Gobber's driveway and away down the road.

-oOo-

Snotlout was feeling pretty pleased with himself as he knocked on Heather's hotel room. It had taken him all day, but he had finally done what she had asked him. Now it was time to collect.

He had visions of rocking up at the coffee shop, his arm draped proudly over his new black haired girlfriend, while she giggled and boasted to everyone how great he was as a boyfriend. However, that vision wavered a little when Heather answered the door and she stared at him as if he was an insect instead.

"What do you want?" she asked rudely.

"Um…I did what you asked me to do," he told her with an uncertain waver.

"And what did you do?" she asked suspiciously. The boy had proven to be nothing more than a headache, but at least he was easy to manipulate. And he had provided some interesting information.

"I found out that Hiccup has a code to find a book," he told her.

Heather was instantly all ears. "A book? Does he know where to find it?" she asked so quickly, Snotlout felt his head was spinning.

"Uh…I think they said 'Smuggler's Cave'. They're going to search for it," he told her.

She crossed her arms as she thought about this. "Do you know where that is?" she demanded.

He shook his head. "No…but all the old-timers do," he told her. She paused again, frowning pensively.

Snotlout rustled up his courage, thinking that this time he had gotten it right. "So how about that 'reward'," he asked her with a suggestive wriggle of his brows.

Heather looked at him with a disgusted scowl, one side of her lip curled up derisively. "You're at my hotel…you've received your reward. Congratulations," she told him dismissively. Then she stepped back, and slammed the door on a very stunned and surprised Snotlout.

His dream had been well and truly shattered, and he had no choice but to slowly stomp away.

-oOo-

Astrid had turned towards 'The Outcasts' bar instead of going home as she had originally intended. It was still a little early in the evening to be drinking, but she wanted to drown her sorrows for a bit. Finding out that she had been the victim of many years' worth of lies had been a shattering experience.

Because it was so early, there was hardly any other patrons there so she was left alone, which she was grateful for. She knocked back the shot of whiskey she had asked for, grimacing and coughing as the liquid hit her throat. "Hit me again," she hoarsely told the bar keeper, slamming the glass back down for a refill.

The bar keeper was a perceptive fellow, and he swapped her shot glass for a rum and coke instead. "Go slow," he advised her.

Astrid stared at the glass, then nodded.

She was still nursing the dregs of that drink, when Ruff appeared behind her about half an hour later.

"Hey girl," Ruff greeted her miserable friend softly, as she slid onto a stool beside her. "How ya coping, champ?" she asked.

Astrid's eyes were downcast. "Have to say, I'm feeling pretty stupid right now," she admitted.

Ruff gave her a side hug, touching her head to Astrid's as she offered her own brand of comfort. "Yeah…she did play you for a sucker."

Astrid frowned. "Gee thanks Ruff," she said sarcastically. "I feel so much better now."

Ruff gave her shoulder a pat before releasing her, indicating to the barman for a glass of whatever Astrid was drinking. "That's my girl," she replied cheerfully.

Astrid's face fell again. "Ruff…I just want to tell you how sorry I am…about not believing in you…about what I said to you…"

Ruff nudged her shoulder. "Hey….we're good. What sort of a friend would I be, if I let some back stabbing, nefarious, two faced, conniving, soulless, shameless hussy get between you and me?"

Astrid had to laugh. "Tell me how you really feel, Ruff," she giggled. Nudging her friend she told her seriously, "Thanks for having my back."

"No problems," said Ruff, as she took a swig of her drink. Glancing over, she told Astrid, "By the way, you should know that Hiccup sent me to find you."

Astrid was startled. "What? Why?"

Ruff shrugged. "He's that kind of guy." She gave a sideways glance at her friend. "Plus, he's really into you."

Astrid coughed into her drink, and Ruff thumped her on the back. She was stunned to say the least.

"Why would he like me? After all I've done to him?" she asked, stupefied.

Ruff took a sip of her drink. "Yeah, I can't understand it either. I mean, look at you. You're just a beautiful blonde traitor. What guy would want that?" she asked casually.

"Hey!" declared Astrid fiercely, standing up ready to confront her friend, but pausing when she saw the teasing grin on Ruff's unconcerned face. She stiffly sat back down again.

"There's my tough girl," cheered Ruffnut. "I thought you were going to wallow in self-pity all night. That would have been a drag."

Astrid lips twitched into a small smirk. "Who need's that?"

"Not Berk, that's for sure," was Ruff's straight reply.

Astrid sobered up straight away. There was a job that needed to be done, and she didn't have time to bemoan her lot in life.

Ruff noted the fiery scowl that Astrid had on, and grinned. "Are you ready to defend Berk?" she asked her.

Astrid nodded fiercely. "Yes," came the firm reply.

"Good. Put that rage to good use," advised Ruff. "Don't let her get to you, otherwise she still wins."

She polished off her drink and stood up. "Gimme your keys," she demanded.

"Why?" asked Astrid, handing them over anyway.

"Cause I'm driving you home," she stated, pulling the blonde to her feet. "There's work to be done, and you can't be wasting time getting plastered."

Astrid grinned. She was back where she belonged, and it felt good.

It was time to defend Berk.

-oOo-

Heather had closed the door on the unsuspecting Snotlout, then headed back into the main lounge area of her apartment.

"What did the buffoon want?" sneered a sinister male voice.

She gave a deadpan expression to the red-haired man standing before her. "It seems that Hiccup has discovered the code to find the book," she told him, settling into the couch.

"Well, that's not going to help him," snivelled another voice in the corner.

Heather gave a distasteful glance in his direction. "Mildew, don't underestimate the man. He's a lot smarter than you are," she warned him.

She turned her attention back to her brother. "Dagur… Hiccup is going to a place called Smuggler's Cave to look for it," she told him.

Dagur seemed thoughtful, but a dangerous smirk played on his lips and a wild gleam was in his eye.

"Smuggler's Cave, hey? We've been looking for father's book for years now." He rubbed at the marking behind his ear. "When father gave us these tattoos, I always thought he would tell us what they meant…but he never did," he snarled savagely. "After all that Drago had trusted him with, he had to go all 'goody-two-shoes' on us," he mocked. "Then when father hid the book that Drago kept all his business transactions in, that was the last straw. I made sure he paid for his insolence." He laughed maniacally, appearing truly deranged. "Drago was happy for me to replace father on his team," he boasted proudly, extracting an eye roll from his sister.

"I'm on his team too, don't forget," she warned him.

He turned his dark gaze to her. "I haven't forgotten," he replied lowly, an unreadable expression in his eyes.

"So what do you want to do now?" Heather asked her brother.

Dagur turned towards the window and stood with his arms crossed behind his back. "We watch and wait. When they find it, then we'll take it from them." He turned back towards his sister with an evil gleam. "In the meantime, I have a few plans of my own."


	7. Chapter 7

It was early the next morning, while the sun was just peaking over the mountains, when a shrivelled old man with greying hair approached the quaint little cottage. Reaching the front entrance, he bent down to tuck an envelope through the gap under the door. It slipped through without a sound and quickly disappeared. The old man did the same not long after.

-oOo-

Astrid woke feeling nervous and excited. She was about to join her friends in fighting for Berk and its people. After her moment at the bar last night, Astrid had told Ruff she was going to apologize to Hiccup for all the trouble she had caused, and ask where he could best use her help. She was young, strong and filled with fiery passion. Ready to join the cause. And the fact that Hiccup was leading the charge didn't hurt either.

She sipped her tea as she thought about the green eyed man. He certainly had her attention. Ruff had even told her that Hiccup liked her, although Astrid struggled to believe that was even possible. But she couldn't prevent the warm glow that spread through her chest at the idea. Although, she supposed, that could just have been the hot drink she was currently consuming.

Full of nervous energy, Astrid decided she would walk to Gobber's house instead of taking her car. It would only take about twenty minutes anyway. Berk wasn't _that_ big.

She grabbed her keys and headed out the door.

There was a tall hedge at the corner of Gobber's property, and she was almost there when she heard Hiccup talking loudly….and very heatedly. Her footsteps slowed, as she glanced through the branches to see him talking to Ruff out in the front yard. But she froze when she heard his words.

"…..she wants to apologize? After everything she's done? Then she has the hide to say she wants to come here and help me? Hell will freeze over before that ever happens," he growled ferociously.

He stomped towards the house, slamming the door after him and Astrid could immediately hear Gobber raising a ruckus about having to reinforce his front door with steel to stop people destroying it. Ruff had gone in after him, opening and closing the door much more sedately, to Gobber's exasperated relief.

Astrid was left standing in the street, completely devastated. She felt like she'd been kicked in the chest, all the air sucked out of her lungs. She'd told Ruff that she wanted to apologize, to help Hiccup fight for Berk. Astrid had been sure that he was okay with that….but it seems that she'd been completely wrong…again. He didn't want her help…he didn't want her.

Spinning on her heels, she made her decision. She was heading to her parents. He might not want her help, but she knew they would. She wasn't ready to give up on Berk just because some blow-in from another town was going to have a hissy fit. She strode out with determination, her face grim. But it was her eyes that gave away her true feelings.

She'd been rejected again…and her heart was broken.

-oOo-

There was a knock at the front door, and Hiccup looked up anxiously from the table. Gobber let in another villager, and Hiccup turned back to his plans, fighting to hide his disappointment.

Ruff noticed. "She'll be here…she said she wanted to help," she reassured him.

He shook his head. "Well then, she must have changed her mind…and we can't afford to wait any longer. We have to go," he advised his small group of rag-tag explorers tiredly.

Fishlegs, the twins and Hiccup were all ready to explore Smuggler's Cave, in the search for Oswald's book. Hiccup had been hoping that Astrid would come too…he'd been looking forward to having her by his side, actually. But it seems he must have read more into whatever relationship they had, then what was actually there.

He thought about the note that Ruff had given him this morning. It had been shoved under the twins door, but why he wasn't sure. Heather had written it, begging for forgiveness and claiming she wanted to help him find out the truth about what happened to his father. She had once mattered to him, but had betrayed him in the worst way possible. He had nothing to say to her, and he certainly didn't need anything from her. He would find out what happened to his father his own way, he decided grimly. Even if a tiny part of him wanted to hear what she had to say. He shook his head and stood up in agitation, remembering that time was vital now. Anything Heather had to say would be a trap.

He sighed as he gestured towards the door, waiting until the others had passed in front of him. Toothless jumped into the tray of Hiccup's F100 with the excited twins, while Fishlegs climbed into the passenger seat.

Time was running out. They needed to find that book.

-oOo-

Astrid was at the top of a ladder, nails held between her lips as she aggressively hammered a piece of timber in place. She could see her parents were watching her in concern, but she didn't feel like talking with them about any of it at the moment. She could think of nothing except how foolish she had been…once again…to think that she could have a chance with Hiccup. That she could ever be happy. Tears were pricking at the corner of her eyes, and she desperately fought them off. Raising the hammer, she put all her emotion into ferociously driving the nail straight in…till she misjudged and the nail bent over sideways. Her exasperation took over and she jumped backwards down the ladder, spitting out nails as she went.

The hammer was still in her hands as she stormed out of the room, her parents shocked at her dark mood.

"I can't do this right now," she muttered in explanation. "I'm going for a walk."

Stepping outside the door into the street, Astrid realised she was still holding the hammer tightly. She didn't want to go back inside and face her parents again, so she raised it over her head instead….and hurled it into the nearest tree with so much force, the head of it buried into the soft wood.

"Arrghh!" she screamed, her fists clenched and her cheeks red before stomping off.

-oOo-

Hiccup pulled up at the end of the road. From here, they would have to hike the rest of the way to Smugglers Cave, as the tracks were too rough for vehicles. Which was part of the reason it had been so popular with smugglers as the authorities couldn't follow them. Till they'd been put out of business anyway.

Toothless jumped out of the tray, while the twins clambered over the edge and slid ungracefully down to the ground. They stood up stretching and groaning. Ruff had her hands on her waist as she stretched backwards.

"I'm all for pain…but your truck is ridiculous," she complained.

Hiccup didn't miss a beat, grabbing a bag full of ropes, torches and other items he felt they might need out of his toolbox. "Don't know what you're talking about," he told them flatly. "Toothless never complains."

"Toothless is a wolf," Tuff reminded him. "Plus he was sitting on us the whole trip," he said, catching the coiled rope and a water bottle Hiccup threw at him. He put the items in his own bag of supplies that Ruff had already handed to him.

Hiccup glanced up briefly, an amused gleam flashing across his eyes for a moment before seriousness once again settled over him. He checked everyone had what they needed before moving out.

"Doesn't this guy ever stop?" complained Ruff to her brother, as Hiccup quickly outpaced them all.

"At least you have a better chance than me," whimpered Fishlegs, already puffing from the exertion.

"Suck it in, Fishy," advised Tuff, sucking his own gut in and trying to look fit and, well... tough.

Fishlegs merely rolled his eyes and followed Hiccup who already had quite a lead on them.

Toothless had originally headed off with his master, then disappeared amongst the woods. The trio were keeping their eye on Hiccup, when the black wolf unexpectedly popped out beside them.

"Woah! Toothless!" yelled Tuffnut, jumping back in surprise. "Neat trick," he decided as the canine sniffed them over as if to say, 'Why are you taking so long?' then slunk back between the trees where they soon lost sight of him again.

Fishlegs and the twins kept on hiking through the rough terrain. They knew they were close, when they could hear the waves crashing up against the high cliffs, and smell the ocean on the coastal breeze.

"Took you long enough," came a voice. Turning, the three found Hiccup down on one knee, running his hand through the wolf's long coat. Toothless was leaning up against him, quite happy with the arrangement. Hiccup indicated behind him to a large cavern, only visible from directly in front.

"Is this it?" he asked the twins.

They nodded. "Yup, that's it," and headed inside the cavern.

Standing up, Hiccup was about to call out to the twins, when he noticed something. Or rather, he noticed a lack of something.

"Where are the twins?" he asked Fishlegs who shrugged.

Hiccup cautiously entered the cave, but found nothing. He was about to leave when...

"Right here," announced Tuffnut, suddenly popping out behind Hiccup. Hiccup jolted and nearly slugged the man with a left uppercut, but stopped himself in time.

"Woah, Hiccup," Tuff backed up, his hands in the air. "Not the enemy here," he told him, his eyes opened wide.

Hiccup sighed in exasperation. "Don't do that, Tuff. I could have knocked you out."

"Glad you didn't," Tuff answered, coming forward again. "I like my teeth where they are, thanks."

Ruffnut sauntered out behind her brother. "What's the hold up? You lot coming, or what?" she asked.

"Uh…where, exactly?" questioned Fishlegs, searching around the obviously empty cave. The jagged rocks around it hid the narrow entrance till they were directly in front of, and the cave itself was wide, but shallow. There were no other entrances or exits. It seemed to have no other use except for storage. But Hiccup realised it wasn't called Smuggler's Cave without a reason. He started to check the interior closely, but the twins showed him its secrets without preamble.

"Here," Ruffnut called, standing close to the back wall. Then she disappeared. Then reappeared. "Come on…we can't wait all day," she cackled delightedly, as Hiccup and Fishlegs stood a little bemused with her seemingly magician type antics. Walking over, the two could see quite plainly that the back wall hid the tunnel-like entrance, which was wide enough for one man to carry a load through.

Hiccup was last man in, but Toothless hesitated to follow them into the dark tunnel, whining slightly and giving Hiccup an imploring look. Hiccup stopped to kneel beside his canine friend.

"I know Toothless. You don't like enclosed spaces. It'll be okay," he reassured him quietly, stroking his fur.

Toothless sidled a little closer, and when Hiccup walked behind the wall, the wolf was so close that his nose bumped into Hiccup's leg. But he didn't balk after that.

They only travelled for a short way, before the tunnel widened out into a larger space, almost like a holding room. Hiccup stopped to look closely, when Tuffnut's torch went flat.

"Dang," he huffed, smacking it against his palm. But it refused to reignite. "Hey Ruff," he called, catching up with his twin. "Gimme your torch, mine's gone flat," he demanded, his hand stretched out.

Ruffnut pulled her torch in tight. "No…if you didn't bother to bring extra batteries, then don't come crying to me," she protested.

"I didn't have room," Tuffnut grumbled. "I had to bring all my other stuff."

Ruffnut shrugged, "Not my problem, bro."

Tuffnut narrowed his gaze at his unsympathetic sister. "I can make it your problem," he growled, before launching himself at her torch. Ruffnut swiftly responded, and yanked it away. Unfortunately, Fishlegs was right behind her, and when the wayward torch smacked him in the face, he staggered backwards with a yelp only to come crashing into Hiccup. And because Toothless was still right beside him, Hiccup had nowhere to go except down. He toppled sideways and fell headfirst towards the cave wall, rolling into a shallow ditch at the base of the rock.

"Oww!" he yelled, hitting his head on something. Fishlegs and the twins, plus a contrite wolf were instantly beside him.

"Are you okay?" asked Fishlegs worriedly.

Hiccup sat up rubbing his head. "Yeah," he glared at the twins who appeared chagrined.

"Sorry, my man," said Tuff, pulling a face. "Didn't think you'd go down so hard."

Hiccup ignored him, and searched around the floor for his dropped torch. Picking it up, he flicked it on and aimed the light on whatever it was he had hit. He was surprised to find an old fashioned lantern hiding behind a small rocky outcrop. Picking it up, he turned it from side to side to examine it. He could see that it was actually still in working order, with a cotton wick visible in the burner sleeve. Even the glass chimney was still intact, although it seemed to have a few tiny cracks etched in the glass.

Ruffnut squealed, "Ohhhh…I want the lantern! Tuffnut can have my boring torch."

Hiccup glanced up, "It needs kerosene to light it, Ruff," he advised her, placing the lantern down and standing up.

Tuffnut rummaged through his bag. "Luckily for everyone," Tuff started to say, then paused as he pulled out a bottle full of clear liquid, "I happen to have some," he boasted, holding the bottle up for everyone to admire.

Hiccup gave him a strange look. "What were you planning to do with that?" he asked cautiously.

Tuffnut shrugged. "You never know when you need a little accelerant," he replied in a low voice, which made Hiccup wonder what kind of things went on in Tuff's head that allowed him to bring a bottle of kerosene, but not batteries.

Hiccup picked up the lantern, and carried it to a rock pillar with a convenient flat top that was in the middle of the room. He pulled it apart so he could fill up the base with the kero that Tuff willingly supplied. After trimming the wick, Hiccup lit the lantern with the lighter that Tuff produced. Another item that Hiccup raised an eyebrow at. The wick was flaming nicely, so he replaced the glass chimney. As he did so, he noticed a flash of light bounce off the wall.

His curiosity aroused, he left the lantern on the pillar, and headed towards the spot that had flashed. Reaching up, his fingers found a smooth groove high on the wall, too smooth to be natural. As he was pondering this added feature, the twins behind him had picked up the lantern and were bickering over who would keep it. Their actions caused the shadows and the light to sway sickeningly around the room.

Hiccup turned to them, "Put that back. I want to see something," he told them distractedly. The twins frowned, but did it anyway. When they did, Hiccup noticed another flash a little further over. He quickly strode over to the spot, and found another smooth groove, although it was lower than the first.

The others watched him as he moved back to the lantern. He had intended to shift its position to see if there were any other smooth grooves, but when he looked at the light cast on the walls, he saw something that made him think. The cracks on the glass chimney were creating shadow lines. He shielded his eyes from the bright glare, and moved the lantern. The shadow line seemed to match up with one of the smooth spots, causing it to glow again. He shuffled the lantern around again, and this time the second one glowed, but the first disappeared. Hiccup wondered if he could get both to glow at the same time, so he kept shuffling the lantern around slowly till finally….

Fishlegs and the twins all gasped in shock. A whole load of more notches had suddenly lit up, the shadow lines leading to each and every one of them.

"What is it?" asked Fishlegs in awe at what he was witnessing.

Tuffnut and Ruffnut were scrutinizing the lines carefully, which seemed to take over about half of the room. The two looked at each other, grinned and nodded. Hiccup noticed.

"You know what it is, don't you," he said calmly. He didn't pose it as a question.

Their grins grew wider, "Yup!" Tuff confirmed.

"It's a map," Ruff told the other two.

"A map?" Fishlegs was astounded. "A map of what?" he wanted to know.

Hiccup turned around, absorbing what he was seeing. "It's a map of the tunnels," he decided.

Ruffnut pointed at him, "Ten points to the smart boy," she cackled. Reaching towards one of the lower spots, she stated, "This is where we are now," she told them.

Behind her, Fishlegs pulled a notebook from his bag and started tracing the shadows onto the pages.

Ruff came over and pointed to another glow spot. "This one is the main exit point," she told him. "And this one leads to Silent Sven's sheep well."

Tuff interrupted, "I thought that one was the Fish Gate?"

She stood and thought about it, "Hmm….I think you might be right," she finally agreed.

Fishlegs sighed and crossed out the note he had just made, changing it to Fish Gate instead.

Hiccup spoke to the room, "So all the glow points are exits," he decided. "And all the shadow lines are mining tunnels."

"Bingo!" agreed Ruffnut.

"Tell me where they all go," demanded Hiccup, turning to his friends urgently. He knew Dagur would be very close, if he wasn't hiding in town already. This map could help give them the upper hand.

The twins looked sideways at each other, and cackled in glee, rubbing their hands together. So, as Fishlegs frantically scribbled on his notebook, Hiccup listened intently while the twins told him everything. Eventually, they had to stop.

"Um…I think that's all of them," Ruffnut told Hiccup.

"What about this one?" he asked, pointing to a small glow spot that didn't seem to go anywhere. There was something about it, that felt off to him.

The twins stood back to examine it. "Um…I don't know," admitted Tuffnut, scratching his head. "They all end above ground, but that one is right in the middle. It would have to be underground."

"Yeah," agreed his sister. "I can't see how that one could be an exit at all. It doesn't make sense."

Hiccup nodded slowly, scraping his fingers through the stubble on his jaw. "Then how about we head for it and find out?" he suggested.

The whole time they had been in the room, Toothless had been clinging so close to Hiccup's legs that he had stumbled several times when the wolf almost tripped him up. Hiccup knew his companion was not very happy about dark tunnels, so hadn't really paid attention when he whined several times. But now, the wolf hummed a low growl deep in his throat.

Hiccup turned to him, "What's the matter bud? Is the dark upsetting you?"

Toothless relaxed his rigid form and affectionately licked the hand stretched out to him.

"It's okay, Toothless. We won't be here long if we can help it," he promised, before standing up. "Okay guys, let's go," he ordered, heading towards the narrow tunnel that led deeper into the hills.

Ruffnut picked up the lantern, and Tuffnut took the last torch. Hiccup and Fishlegs had their own torches, even though the lantern gave enough light for all of them. Their combined footsteps echoed through the tunnel, the noise bouncing along and making it sound as if there were more footsteps than just theirs. Every now and again, Toothless would give a low growl and glance behind them. Hiccup sought to reassure his nervous wolf, and kept walking.

The suffocating darkness and narrow tunnels were starting to give Fishlegs problems and he tried hard not to hyperventilate in the cloying atmosphere. The twins were unperturbed, having been down here many, many times before. They knew where to go and kept pushing forward. Hiccup had to admit, being underground was not the usual environment he was used to, and he was starting to sympathize with his anxious wolf.

Eventually however, they reached the entrance they were looking for. Ruff held up the lamp to look inside, only to find a small room littered with the remnants of old boxes.

"This isn't a tunnel," she told them disappointedly.

Hiccup stepped forward, "It looks like it might have been a storage room of some sort," he guessed, searching around for anything obvious.

He heard Tuffnut shuffling around in his bag, but didn't pay attention, his focus was on the jagged rock walls. Unlike the relatively smooth walls of the tunnels, the walls in this room were very rugged. The light bounced off the rocks, leaving deep and mystifying shadows that moved with every sway of the torch.

A striking sound behind him earned Hiccup's instant attention and he spun around to find Tuffnut with a lit stick of dynamite in his hand.

"Let's blow this up and find out if there are any secrets here," Tuff suggested gleefully, ready to lob the dynamite into the back of the room and run as fast as his legs could carry him.

Hiccup's eyes opened wide, and he sprinted towards Tuff, yanking the stick out of the lanky man's hands and tugging on the fuse as the flame drew closer to the explosive powder. He cursed as the heat burnt into his hand, but thankfully managed to stop it in time.

"Are you mad?" he hollered at the disappointed twin, shaking the now dormant stick at him. Toothless growled beside him.

Tuffnut nodded. "Yeah…you spoiled my party," he pouted. "I haven't got another fuse for that stick," he pointed at what Hiccup still held in his hand.

Hiccup glared. "You nearly killed us…and all you're worried about is a fuse?" he fumed hotly.

Tuffnut shrugged. "We've done this before. We wouldn't have died," he dismissed Hiccup's protests.

"Have you done it with unsuspecting friends before?" he asked pointedly.

"Uh…nope. Don't suppose we have," he acceded. Ruff nodded in agreeance behind him.

"Word of warning for next time…. _Don't_ ," Hiccup told him in frustration, tossing the stick back to the dreadlocked blonde.

"Oki doki," agreed Tuff, putting the precious stick back in his bag, and patting it tenderly. "Don't worry…daddy will get you a new fuse as soon as we get home," he whispered.

Hiccup shook his head in disbelief and went back to searching around the room…now the threat of being blasted to smithereens had been removed. There was a rock pillar in the middle of the floor, similar to the first room. It had a flat top, so on a hunch Hiccup took the lantern from Ruffnut and placed it on the level space. There were no glow spots this time, but the stilled light changed the way the shadows lay. Hiccup kept searching and it wasn't long before he noticed a slightly longer shadow towards the top of the room.

"Give me a leg up," he requested from Fishlegs, keeping his eye on the shadow. The husky lad obligingly came over, and knitted his fingers together for Hiccup to step into.

Hiccup could feel a small ledge at the top of the room. His hand kept searching and he found a small opening that was completely hidden from view.

"Lift me up, guys," he told the two men. "There's something up there."

Tuffnut helped Fishlegs push Hiccup higher up the wall. Hiccup's fingers found a very tiny ledge with a small opening at the top that he figured his slim frame would just fit through. Pulling himself up, he poked his head and shoulders into the opening. Toothless whined, and paced restlessly as Hiccup slowly disappeared completely.

"Hiccup? Are you okay up there?" Fishlegs asked nervously. There was no answer, although they could hear some muffled noises. Toothless whined and paced along the base of the wall. The wolf tried leaping up the rocks but to no avail. The three friends stood staring up at the shadows, waiting. Eventually a scraping noise reached them.

The twins turned to each other, "What was that?" Ruffnut wondered for both of them. Tuff shrugged.

A battered tin case surfaced along the narrow ledge. Fishlegs hoisted Tuffnut up to grab it before it fell. Sinewy arms soon appeared followed by a very dusty Hiccup, struggling to wrestle himself free from the tiny space.

Toothless gave an excited howl, jumping up in an attempt to reach him.

"Yeah, Toothless. I'll be there soon," Hiccup reassured his wolf, at the same time he strained to pull himself free. Fishlegs and Tuffnut had to reach up and support him while he wriggled his legs out. Finally, he dropped back down to the ground. He dusted himself off, then picked up the ancient tin case.

"Is that it?" asked Tuffnut, wrinkling up his nose in disappointment.

"Why? What else were you expecting?" asked Fishlegs as he held the lantern up.

Tuff shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe treasure...or secret panels, and exploding booby traps...like Indiana Jones."

"What? Creepy tunnels and a hidden room not exciting enough for you?" deadpanned Hiccup as he fought with the stubborn container.

"Nghh...it'll do, I suppose," Tuffnut decided, with a noncommittal grimace. "Would have been better with an explosion...but you stopped it," he grumbled.

Hiccup rolled his eyes at the lanky man's complaints. He tugged on the box, and it suddenly flew open.

Fishlegs pushed forward eagerly. "Is that it? Is that what your dad was looking for?" he asked.

Hiccup took a moment to carefully reach in and extract the aged book. Opening up to the first few pages, he scanned the notes written within and gasped. So did Fishlegs. The other two were hanging over his shoulder, but they had no comprehension of what the ink had revealed on these faded pages.

"Do you know what this is?" the big man asked in awe.

"Ohhh, I know," nodded Hiccup soberly, turning more pages. "The end of Drago, that's what this is. The evidence that dad was looking for to finally bring him and his entire organization down." He looked up at the three who had helped him, the fire of revenge in his eyes. "It's all here. More than enough to stop him cold. He will pay for what he did to dad, me…and a whole lot of other people."

Toothless suddenly gave a low growl. Hiccup closed up the book to stroke the wolf's fur.

"It's okay, bud. We've got what we came for. Time to go now," he reassured his furry friend. Placing the book back in the tin, he tucked it under his arm before standing up.

"Let's go guys," he told the others. Fishlegs breathed out a sigh of relief, while the twins huffed in annoyance.

"No explosives, no treasure….just a moldy old book. This trip was totally boring," Tuffnut complained, while Ruffnut nodded.

"Fine with me," declared Fishlegs. He was a big guy and the idea of being so far underground in such tiny enclosed spaces really unnerved him.

Hiccup waved them all forward, but found the entrance blocked by Toothless standing rigid with his back to them. His hackles were standing up on end and he growled loudly into the dark tunnel.

"Toothless?"

The wolf's growls turned into snarls. He backed up, causing the four behind him to move deeper into the room. This was more than enough to put Hiccup was on high alert, especially when a light appeared in the entrance. It was being held by none other than….

"Dagur," Hiccup breathed out low and furious.

"Hello Hiccup," mocked the red haired Beserker. "Aren't you glad to see me? I know I'm glad to see you," leered the stranger. Toothless inched stiffly forward, his lips pulled back in a vicious snarl.

"And you too, floor rug," drawled Dagur. He slowly revealed a long, curved knife that glinted in the light. He pointed it towards Toothless, twisting the blade for emphasis.

Hiccup froze.

"Come on bud. Back up," he called out softly. But the wolf continued to stand his guard, his snarls getting louder and more amplified in the small room.

Dagur stepped forward with an evil sneer, flashing the blade again. Toothless knew this man, and he hated him. They had a long history... and it wasn't a good one.

"What do you want, Dagur?" Hiccup asked lowly, stepping beside his wolf, his body tensed and prepared for anything this unpredictable maniac was about to do. Toothless didn't relent at all.

"You have my property," Dagur told him, indicating towards the tin box that Hiccup held under his arm. "My father put that here, and I want it back," he drawled. He flicked the knife again, and Hiccup's gaze faltered for a moment. He said nothing while Dagur laughed ruthlessly.

"We both know that your wolf doesn't stand a chance," he stated maliciously. "So hand it over. I'll leave…and you and your precious dog here, plus your 'friends' can stay in one piece."

Hiccup was caught. They really needed that ledger, but he knew Dagur was beserk enough to carry out his threat. He also knew that Dagur had no intentions of just walking away. He had another plan up his sleeve. One Hiccup was sure he wasn't going to like.

Right now, though, he had no choice.

"No, Hiccup," whispered Fishlegs behind him as he saw Hiccup take the tin out from under his arm.

"I have to, Fishlegs," Hiccup told him quietly.

"Yes, that's a good boy. Hand it over, _brother_ ," Dagur said eagerly, stretching his hand out to take the metal box that Hiccup reluctantly held out to him. As Dagur reached for it, Toothless jumped up, ready to rip his teeth into the exposed flesh. Instantly Dagur swiped the knife intending to land a lethal blow in retaliation, but Hiccup swiftly threw the box at Dagur and launched himself at Toothless, grabbing him and rolling over with him, making the wolf yelp. Dagur's aim wobbled when he stopped to catch the box instead, but he still managed to find a target…as evidenced by the blood stain on Hiccup's upper arm.

Hiccup kept a tight hold on his wolf, who was struggling madly to get at Dagur. Toothless could smell Hiccup's blood and he wanted nothing more than to attack their vicious persecutor. The others behind them had sucked in a quick breath in total shock at what they had just witnessed, and they stepped back even further.

"You've got your box," Hiccup snapped. "Now get out of here," he commanded furiously, still hanging on tight to Toothless who was snarling and gnashing his teeth in frustration.

Dagur held the box up in one hand and wiggled it to taunt them. "Thank you _brother._ I will be taking this and destroying it. Don't want all of Drago's hard work to go down because of a few insignificant pages now, do we?"

He laughed maniacally. Sheathing his knife in its scabbard on his hip, he then did something more terrifying…he pulled out a grenade instead. Pulling out the pin with his teeth, he held it up but kept the spoon tightly closed.

"You said you were going to leave us in one piece," said Hiccup accusingly, dragging the frantic wolf backwards towards the others.

Dagur held the grenade to his chest, "Oh Hiccup. I'm wounded that you accuse me of lying," he pretended to pout. "I'm a man of my word. I intend to leave you in one piece…long enough for one certain meeting to go ahead without disturbance. It's just a pity that you and your 'friends' here…happened to travel into such an unstable mine. The walls have a habit of collapsing without warning, don't you know?"

He twisted one corner of his mouth into an ugly sneer. "Nobody will be able to find you for days…maybe even weeks." His voice took a deadly low turn. "Maybe never." And with that he dropped the grenade in the entrance before running. Hiccup and the others reacted immediately, diving to the ground at the back of the cave as the explosion blew apart the archway. Rocks and dust fell over the four people and a wolf lying motionless on the ground.

-oOo-

Astrid was still fuming as she hurried along, not paying much attention to her surroundings. She couldn't believe what she had heard this morning, that Hiccup hadn't wanted her help. He hadn't wanted her apologies either. It confused her, as he had been so kind yesterday. Then Ruff had come along last night, saying she'd been sent by Hiccup to find her. Astrid had told Ruff she wanted to apologize for all her mistakes. She wanted to be a part of helping Berk. But then she had accidentally overheard them this morning when Ruff gave that same message to Hiccup. And he had reacted so violently. Was it all just a show? All his previous kindness? What did he want from her? Astrid didn't want to think about it anymore, but the heavy ache in her chest was hard to ignore.

With all those confusing thoughts raging, she was completely unprepared when an hand shot out from behind a large tree, grabbing her arm and dragging her back behind it. She found herself being slammed up against the trunk with a hand clamped firmly over her astonished mouth, as she stared into the dark eyes of Heather.

"Mphuff?" she asked in bewilderment.

"Shhh!" Heather hissed, searching wildly around them in case someone heard or saw. Her hand remained clamped over Astrid's mouth. She turned back to her blonde captive. "Be quiet!" she hissed. "We're in danger here. Do you understand?"

Astrid was wide eyed as she nodded. The pressure eased from over her mouth.

"Okay…I'm going to let you go, but please don't yell. Do you promise not to yell?" Heather asked worriedly.

Astrid nodded again. Heather freed her. Astrid became defensive straight away. "What are you talking about? Why are we in danger? And why did you grab me like that?" she demanded in a loud whisper, standing up straight and rubbing her arm.

"Because Hiccup is in danger," Heather hissed back, continuing to furtively glance around them, searching for any possible eavesdroppers.

Astrid was immediately wary. She already knew the truth about this woman, and she was still smarting from it.

"And why do you care?" she asked cautiously, glancing around as well.

Heather stopped to stare at her friend's tone. Things had obviously changed since she'd seen her last. "Look, I don't know what people have been telling you, but I've always cared about Hiccup. He's a decent guy," she started with.

"Till you framed him," Astrid snapped back.

Heather sighed heavily in frustration. "You don't know what's going on Astrid. There's some seriously nasty stuff happening here. But I never wanted to hurt him. I'm trying to help protect him." She pleaded with Astrid to believe her.

"And that's why you're working with your brother? To _protect_ him?" Astrid spoke sarcastically in a low, disapproving tone.

"Yes and no. Dagur is my brother. He took care of me after dad died," Heather's bottom lip trembled slightly as her eyes became suspiciously glassy. Astrid remained unimpressed.

"I know it looks bad, but I owe Dagur…big time. Plus, I _have_ to do what he asks, otherwise…." she paused, then drew a finger across her throat in a dramatic gesture.

Astrid's eyes opened wide in shock.

"He's going to kill you?" she asked incredulously.

Heather shrugged. "Him or one of his cronies. There's no escape from a guy like him," she told the blonde woman sadly. "I do what I have to do, to survive." She appeared genuinely despondent, and Astrid felt her sense of betrayal slide a little. It seemed Heather was forced into this position. She only did it to stay alive a little longer. But still...

"By hurting others?" Astrid was astounded.

Heather had the decency to appear guilty. "I didn't mean to. I never wanted to hurt anybody else."

Astrid glared skeptically at the other girl. "Hiccup's dad _died_ because of you," she accused.

Heather's gaze flashed in irritation for a moment, "I didn't kill him. Somebody else did," she snapped.

"Who?" demanded Astrid.

"I don't know. It wasn't Dagur, that's all I can say for sure," was the hurried answer.

Astrid crossed her arms firmly. "What about Hiccup? He's had to live on the streets because of you and your _brother_ ," she snarled.

Heather huffed impatiently. "That's his own fault. He could have come work for us and had an easy life, but nooo, he had to run away."

Astrid couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You _want_ him to be trapped?" she asked, her voice high and incredulous.

Heather was frowning but she paused at Astrid's words, before resettling her expression into a much sadder one. She faced Astrid, her green eyes wide and appealing. "No, I don't want him to be trapped. I truly cared about him, Astrid. You must believe me on this. We were going to be married...until his dad somehow figured out who I was. I wanted Hiccup to be safe, to be part of our organisation. Then...I hoped...that maybe if he still loved me...that we could find a way out. Together." She spoke the last words softly, her gaze never leaving Astrid's.

The blonde woman felt conflicted. Heather's betrayal had truly stung, but now she was telling a different tale. One of coercion and fear, being forced to do terrible things for the sake of her own life. Astrid wasn't sure what to believe any more.

"What about after? Why didn't you try to get away by yourself when Hiccup didn't join you?" she burst out.

Heather grimaced and pulled back slightly. "You don't just 'get away' from the likes of Dagur and Alvin," she told her grimly. "Not without paying the price." She pulled her finger across her throat as a reminder of what the 'price' would be.

Astrid couldn't help it. Despite knowing what Heather had done, she felt compelled to reach out and place a comforting hand on Heather's shoulder. "Surely there must be somewhere you can go where they can't find you?" she asked, feeling troubled over the girl's predicament. It wasn't a situation she would wish upon her worst enemy…or Heather.

Heather smiled in gratitude, reaching up to pat Astrid's hand. "Thank you Astrid...that means a lot to me. Don't worry too much about me though...I'm pretty tough." She grinned. "Besides...I have a plan. But I'm not ready to pull it off yet."

"Are you sure?" Astrid asked in concern, taking her hand back.

"Of course. But I can't stay here much longer. We're in too much danger," Heather was urgent once more, and Astrid glanced warily around again. They were standing behind a large tree and partially enclosed by some shrubbery, but it was not the best hiding place.

"Astrid, Hiccup's life is in danger. I need your help. But not here. We need to go somewhere safe where we can't be spotted. Can you do that for me?" she implored desperately.

Astrid hesitated. After Hiccup's outburst this morning, she felt that he wasn't her greatest fan at the moment, but Heather was asking for her help. How could she idly stand by while another's life was possibly hanging in the balance? Especially when Dagur was involved.

"Of course," she finally agreed. "What do you need me to do?"

Heather breathed a small sigh of relief. "Thank you. Astrid. You don't know how much this means to me," she said appreciatively, and Astrid felt pleased she could do something. For both of them.

The raven haired woman took a piece of folded paper out of her pocket and pushed it firmly into Astrid's palm.

"This is a map," she told her briskly. "Meet me there in about an hour. I'll explain everything then," she promised.

Astrid went to open it, but Heather held it shut. "Will you be there?" she asked again, her eyes intensely dark as they bored into Astrid's. The blonde was a little perturbed by this, but nodded firmly.

"Of course."

"Good. Now I'll leave first. Wait a few minutes, then you go too. Make sure no one sees you. And tell no one. Understand?" Heather told her rapidly.

Astrid nodded. Then Heather left, striding quickly away down the street. Astrid watched her go, as she pressed herself back up against the trunk, trying not to be seen by any searching eyes. When she felt enough time had passed, she dared to open the note in her hand. It was a map as Heather had told her. But she shuddered when she realised where it would lead her to.

The abandoned mines.


	8. Chapter 8

**Things are starting to heat up for our hero. The M rating starts to kick in with this chapter.**

* * *

Hiccup coughed as he stirred, painfully dragging himself up on his hands and knees and shaking off the large rocks and lumps of dirt that had landed on him. His ears were ringing after the blast, and despite the total darkness, he was seeing stars. He was sure he would have some mighty fine bruises later.

He heard someone groan.

"Woah...what a ride. So _that's_ what it's like to be blown up," said Tuff, pulling himself up into a sitting position and holding his head. He spat out some dust.

Ruffnut sat up and groaned too.

"I'm okay. Thanks for asking," she said sarcastically.

A smack could be heard.

"Oww!" yelled Tuffnut, rubbing his arm where Ruff had punched him.

"Fish? You okay?" asked Hiccup, ignoring them.

"I...I think so," the husky man's tremulous voice came back in the pitch black.

Hiccup could hear rocks falling as Fishlegs sat up.

"Toothless," Hiccup murmured now he was reassured the rest were okay. "Come on bud...we still need you. Are you with me?" he asked, searching amongst the rubble and feeling tense in expectation of what he might find. He was very relieved to hear a small whimper.

"Anyone got a torch?" he asked.

"Ouch!" cursed Ruffnut, finding the extinguished… but still hot… lantern. "I found the lamp, but I don't know if it works," she told Hiccup.

Tuffnut could be heard rustling in his bag. "Hang on…." he said, before flicking a lighter. The small flame was like a tiny beacon, allowing them to at least see which way was up. It wasn't enough to see anything else, but all eyes were mesmerized by the sight of that flame moving through the gloom until it glowed near the lantern.

 _'Whoosh'_ ….the wick came alive at the touch of the lighter. Now they could see each other and the state of the room they were in. Unfortunately, the news wasn't good.

"We're trapped!" Fishlegs started to panic. "We're gonna die….oh, I can't breathe. There's no air…Hiccup!"

Hiccup sighed, "Ruff…do you mind?" he asked, gesturing towards the big man.

Ruff crawled over and promptly smacked him up the back of his head.

"Oww…why would you do that?" Fishlegs complained, rubbing his head and glaring at her.

"Calm down, you big lug. We're not dying… yet," she told him with no hint of remorse. She turned back to Hiccup.

"Okay…what's next?" she asked.

Hiccup ignored her. He was more focused on Toothless.

"Can you get up, bud?" he asked gently.

Toothless struggled to get up, but finally did it.

"Thank goodness," Hiccup breathed in relief, cradling the wolf's large head in his hands. "You had me worried there, bud."

"Yay…the wolf lives. Now what about us?" Ruff asked again in a flat voice.

Hiccup walked over to pick up the lantern, stifling a groan and rubbing his bruised right shoulder. Holding the lamp up high, he surveyed the room for damage. The four friends were covered in the dust that still hung thickly in the air, and he could see the spark of fresh blood on all of them. None had escaped unscathed, but at least no major injuries had occurred. It seemed the stone pillar that used to be in the center of the room had taken the full blast and protected them.

Stumbling over the rocks piled up in the entrance, Hiccup moved in for a closer inspection and found the doorway hadn't been completely sealed. He pointed towards the top of the pileup where there was a visible gap.

"Tuffnut, do you think you could get up there and clear that space?" he asked.

Tuffnut gave a sloppy salute and a roguish grin. "No problems, chief."

"Guys…we need to get out of here in a hurry. I _have_ to get that book back," Hiccup told them fiercely. Despite the jarring pain in his shoulder, he worked hard to help Tuff shift more rubble.

Ruffnut and Fishlegs came over to help too. It wasn't long before there was enough of a gap at the top for them all to slide through. Tuffnut went through first with the lantern, then Hiccup with one of the torches. Toothless limped through close behind him. Ruffnut was next, but Fishlegs seemed to take a little longer.

"That's a really tiny hole," he worried, staring at the small gap that all his _slim_ friends had already gone through.

"Okay….you can stay there and we'll come back for you later," Tuffnut told him from the other side, and started to walk away.

"Hey…wait for me!" squeaked Fishlegs in a panic, pushing aside his fear of the tight spot over fear of being abandoned in a much tighter...and darker... spot.

"Good man," said Hiccup quickly. "But hurry. Dagur's already had a head start on us. We've got to get that book."

Fishlegs managed to wiggle his top half through the hole before the twins took action. They grabbed an arm each and pulled. He yelped, but was soon through and on his feet.

"Let's go," said Hiccup loudly. He took off at a fast trot, the others doing their best to keep up. He was heading down the main tunnel, passing by a few smaller side tunnels. He ignored them till Tuffnut grabbed his arm.

"Down here," was all the man said. Hiccup turned into the smaller tunnel without hesitation, picking up the pace. He was determined to find Dagur, and find him soon.

Toothless was hot on Hiccup's heels, limping slightly, and Tuffnut was right behind the wolf. Ruffnut and Fishlegs took a little longer. Hiccup was soon ahead of all of them, the echoes of the others footsteps dying off behind him. Hiccup kept his breathing and his pace even, his goal becoming more and more urgent with each passing moment.

He could see the end of the tunnel up ahead, where it rejoined the main one. He was deciding which way to go when he heard a faint sound. With a jolt he realised... Dagur was up ahead. Hiccup's brow lowered and his lips thinned out as he picked up his speed and flicked off his torch. The sounds of the berserker's footsteps grew louder and Hiccup tried to judge where the other man would be. He was almost at the end when he realised that Dagur was _right there_. Hunching his shoulders, Hiccup gritted his teeth and burst forth just as Dagur ran past. He collided heavily with the stockier man, pushing him into the opposite wall.

Dagur yelled as the impact sent both of them sprawling on the ground, the metal container spinning out of his hands. It hit the ground, bursting open on impact with the book falling out and landing next to Hiccup. He quickly picked it up along with the tin, closing it before jumping up and spinning to face an enraged Dagur, his precious prize tucked firmly under his arm.

Hiccup barely had a moment to register the fist heading his way before the solid punch landed on his jaw sending him staggering backwards, scrabbling at the tunnel walls to keep himself upright. The tin jarred from his hold and landed on the ground with a loud 'thump'.

Dagur immediately pounced on the tin, grabbing it off the floor. He pulled out his curved knife when Toothless growled at him from the side tunnel. Hiccup quickly placed a restraining hand on the wolf's head. Dagur backed up slowly as Hiccup warily followed.

"I don't know how you did it, _Hiccup_..." Dagur said his name like it was something obscene. "…but you won't be getting away this time," he sneered.

His eyes flicked towards Tuffnut who was now standing silently behind Toothless. Ruffnut and Fishlegs were barely identifiable much further back in the darkened tunnel.

"Think your _friends_ will be able to help you?" Dagur laughed in a way that sent chills up Hiccup's spine. His eyes glittered dangerously as he rocked on the balls of his feet in demented excitement. He stared at the auburn haired man in a way Hiccup was finding more and more disturbing, and he started to experience a feeling of dread.

"Remember Gustav?" Dagur asked in a low, sinister voice, his lip curling in an ominous way. He suddenly slashed the knife towards Hiccup causing him to jump backwards, barely escaping the tip of the sharp blade.

"I'm not going down that easy," Hiccup warned him, taking on a fighting stance. His eyes never left the berserker's as he quietly told Tuff, "Keep him there," a quick flick of his hand indicating the growling Toothless. Tuff silently knelt down and wrapped an arm around the wolf, holding him tight while the other arm raised the lantern high.

Hiccup boldly stared deep into the madman's reddened eyes. "I'm not going to let you harm my friends ever again," he told Dagur. "And if you try….then you _will_ pay," he promised fervently, his fists clenched as he faced off with the deranged man.

Dagur raised an eyebrow in amusement and laughed. "You will _never_ have friends, Hiccup," he snarled at him suddenly. He pointed his long blade directly at Hiccup. "I already told you that," he said, reminding him forcefully of the night when he had callously killed Gustav right in front of him.

Hiccup blanched at the memory, but he refused to back down. Instead, his eyes flickered to something behind Dagur. Then he smirked.

"Are you so sure about that, Dagur?" Hiccup asked him quietly, his lip curled in self-assurance.

Dagur's hesitation was slight, but it was there. Hiccup noticed and smirked. His gaze flicked behind Dagur again, and he gave a slight nod. The red haired berserker was obviously itching to see what was behind him, but not quite game enough to take his eyes from the wiry man in front. He kept his blade raised.

Hiccup's balance shifted to his back foot, and he suddenly yelled, "NOW!" causing Dagur to twist his head behind him to see what attack was coming before he realised he'd been fooled. But it was the moment Hiccup needed. The growls coming from Toothless escalated quickly into ferocious snarls and maddened gnashing of his sharp canine teeth. Tuffnut was hard pressed to keep him pinned down, his hand holding the lamp faltering.

Hiccup yanked the lantern from Tuffnut, swinging the hot lamp straight at Dagur's knife wielding han and burning him with the heat. The berserker yelped and automatically dropped the sharp knife, pulling his hand back as he glared heatedly at Hiccup who didn't waste any time, firmly kicking the other man directly on his chest with his metal prosthetic. Dagur stumbled backwards for several steps, taken completely by surprise. His gaze flickered down to the blade lying on the ground, but Hiccup had already picked it up and was pointing it back at him, the lamp swaying in his other hand.

Dagur stood scowling at Hiccup in rage and frustration, the tin container still under his arm as he took up a defensive posture. He flicked his gaze back to the knife but could see he wasn't getting it back. Hiccup took a step back, revealing an extremely enraged wolf, barely contained within Tuffnut's arms.

The corner of Hiccup's lips lifted in a rebellious smirk.

"Looks like I have all the cards now, Dagur," he told him lowly. "So why don't you be a good boy, and put the tin down on the ground. Then surrender quietly."

Dagur was seething, the fire of hatred flaming in his narrowed eyes as he glared at Hiccup. Then he unexpectedly gave a malicious grin.

"You may think you've won… _brother,_ " he spoke the last word heavily as he took a step back. He tapped the tin under his arm, "…but I still have the prize."

"And nowhere to go," Hiccup reminded him forcefully, stepping forward.

Dagur gave an evil laugh. "That's what you think," he said, before yanking another grenade from out of his vest. A wide eyed Tuffnut urgently tugged on Toothless, dragging him backwards down the tunnel.

Dagur backed up towards the exit, pulling the pin with his teeth as he went.

"You won't be getting out of here for a long time…and even if you do….." he lowered his face to stare menacingly at his enemy, holding the grenade out like a prize and deliberately taking his thumb off the spoon. "Your _friends_ ….will pay the price." With that, he lobbed the cooked grenade on the floor in front of Hiccup and bolted towards the exit.

Hiccup dropped the lantern and ran down the side tunnel after his friends, but he had barely made it in before the huge _BOOOM_ rattled the narrow passageway, the shockwave lifting Hiccup and pitching him headfirst into the ground. Pain instantly greeted him followed by stars as his eyes slowly closed and he fell unconscious, buried under the avalanche of loose rocks and dirt.

-oOo-

Astrid had kept her word to Heather and told nobody about their meeting. After leaving the hiding spot that Heather had dragged her into, she had walked back to her parents at the library, keeping a wary eye on her surroundings.

Feeling a little embarrassed over her earlier abrupt exit, Astrid quickly apologized to her parents and settled back into the job assigned to her. The town of Berk still needed to be prepared and there was much work to do.

Astrid's hands continued to function in their task, but her brows furrowed in concern as she reflected on the conversation she'd had with Heather. The raven haired woman had said that Dagur had threatened her if she failed to do his bidding. But what did he want her to do? Heather hadn't provided any clues, although it obviously included Hiccup.

She had all but confessed that she was involved in framing Hiccup for his father's death, although she claimed Dagur wasn't responsible for the fatal blow. Astrid couldn't help but feel a little dubious about Heather's statement. Dagur was there. He must have at least known something.

Her gut twisted uneasily about Heather's so-called 'noble intentions' towards Hiccup and wanting to save his life. Dagur had been pursuing him for the last six years, giving her plenty of time to intervene. So why was she making a move now? It didn't make sense.

Thinking about Heather brought to mind the apparent threat of violence and death that Dagur held over his sister. Astrid frowned heavily at this. With Dagur's history, it was quite plausible this tale of woe was true. At the same time, Ruffnut's harsh sentiment came back to echo through her thoughts.

 _'She used you. Just like she did everyone else.'_

Astrid's hands paused as she bit her bottom lip, torn between Ruff's words and the possibility that Hiccup…and also her friends…were all in danger, knowing that they were currently with Hiccup.

A cough behind her jolted her out of her reveries. Glancing around to see if anyone had noticed her staring into space, she resumed her task of stringing up a long piece of strong cord along the ceiling beams. Astrid mentally shook herself. Eyeing off the clock, she could see there was still almost half an hour before her meeting with Heather.

Pursing her lips together in grim determination, Astrid decided that despite the risks, she had to go.

Their lives just might be in her hands.

-oOo-

Mayor Fiske Ingerman grunted as he climbed out of his car. Deciding he could probably do with a little less waistline, he locked the sedan then headed towards the nondescript house sitting amongst what could easily be mistaken for a junkyard. Knocking on the door, he stood back and patiently waited. It wasn't long before he heard the uneven footsteps belonging to his old friend, Gobber.

"Afternoon, Fiske," the old Viking said when he opened the door. "Are yeh coming in?"

"Thank you, I will if you don't mind," the Mayor replied, entering into the house.

Once they were comfortably seated inside, he turned to Gobber.

"Is Hiccup here? I need to ask how preparations are going."

Gobber chuckled. "Hiccup, Fishlegs and the twins are still at Smuggler's Cave," he said. "They'll be home later."

He indicated to all the carefully laid out drawings on the table, planned and organized by Hiccup himself. Ralph and Ventra Thorston were currently there, checking through the lists. They stopped to give a short wave of greeting to the newcomer.

"And as for the preparations…they are all running like clockwork," Gobber told him with a wide grin. "We'll be ready for tomorrow," he assured his friend.

Mayor Ingerman nodded absently. "Good to hear. Hiccup's got a good head on his shoulders," he murmured.

"Aye, that he has," Gobber agreed. "He's one smart lad. All his plans have been sound ones, so far." The old man wriggled his brow at the Mayor, "I wouldn't be surprised to see him trying for your position next."

Mayor Ingerman sat back with a surprised look on his face. "Are you suggesting he might knock me out of council?"

Gobber gave a knowing grin. "Not saying he wants to...but you know that Hiccup would be the man for the job if he did," he answered with a touch of pride.

The Mayor smiled and nodded. "The lad does comes from good stock, no doubting that. If it ever happened, I would consider it an honour to lose to him."

-oOo-

The door of the hotel room nearly bounced off its hinges as Dagur stormed in, slamming it shut behind him. He was in a serious rage, and a casual observer would have almost seen a dark cloud gathering around him as he nurtured the hatred he had for the auburn haired man. For six years, Dagur had been pursuing Hiccup on the orders of Drago and Alvin. The only real time he could have taken him was when he had slaughtered the kid that had dared to think he could sneak in and outsmart him. He had killed the youth right in front of Hiccup to remind him who was the weaker one. He had done it merely to taunt him…wanting him to break and give in.

It hadn't happened of course, and that had only enraged Dagur further.

He stomped further into the room, throwing the metal container on the table. He made so much noise that Heather cautiously emerged from her doorway. She watched him throwing a massive tantrum, the corner of her lip lifted in disdain as he screamed and shattered items onto the marble floor.

"So...I take it he escaped you again?" she said sharply.

The look he shot her was so full of venom that Heather took a step back.

Dagur paused, his eyes dark and glittering with rage. "Oh no, he didn't 'escape' me at all...right now, brother Hiccup and his little friends are buried down deep. And with any luck, he won't be digging his way out this time," he spat out before resuming his antagonized pacing.

Heather gasped in horror at what her brother had done. "You left him there? But what about Drago? He wants Hiccup alive!"

Dagur made a rapid 'talking' motion with his hand and mocked her. "Drago wants Hiccup alive. Hiccup is so precious to Drago. We must bring Hiccup to Drago."

Heather felt a cold chill race down her spine and she stared wide-eyed at her brother, her truly _deranged_ brother, and wondered …What it was he had done? The last six years of hard work… and her secret plans… were going to mean absolutely nothing if he had gone and done something irreversible.

Dagur indicated irritatedly towards the metal container. "I've found the precious book that dear old deluded dad hid away. Hiccup can't use it against Drago anymore, so what's the point of keeping Hiccup alive too?

Heather's eyes bulged at her brother's statement. "You killed him?" she screeched loudly.

He narrowed his eyes at his sister. "I buried him. Twice. But that runt will probably find a way to escape," he grunted in frustration. "So you had better make sure you've done your part."

She snorted disdainfully. "I always do my part. It's you who keeps messing up," she sneered.

The words were barely out of her mouth before he practically flew across the room and backhanded her savagely across the cheek. The impact snapped her face sideways, and she gasped at the unexpected sting.

He snarled at her as she instinctively placed her hand over her cheek where red welts had immediately sprung up.

"You would do well to remember your place... _sister_."

Heather backed up, her expression mutinous as he pointed a demanding finger towards her.

"Just get the job done," he ordered. "I don't care what Drago wants…Hiccup is mine," he threatened darkly, before stomping into the other room.

Heather silently headed into the kitchen for an ice pack to reduce the swelling, keeping her gaze locked on the doorway he had gone through.

"You will never touch me like that again," she vowed softly.

-oOo-

Tuffnut was the first to recover.

"Woah," he said loudly, his ears ringing. "Two blasts in one day. What a trip...everyone okay?" He was greeted by groans from the other two. Toothless whined beside him, and he gave the wolf a comforting pat.

"I'm fine," replied Ruffnut. She picked up the torch she had dropped. "Is it just me, or is the torch not so bright anymore?"

Fishlegs began to panic. "Oh no! The torch is going flat and we're stuck underground and I can't breathe," he said rapidly, his hands reaching around his throat. He could feel it constricting even as he spoke.

"Calm down Fishy," said Tuffnut, giving a massive cough while Toothless sneezed. "It's just the dust." Fishlegs gave a little sigh of relief, till Tuff added, "...and the batteries going flat."

 _"Whaaat_!" Fishlegs screeched, his voice echoing in the hollow space. Ruffnut covered her ears against the sound.

"Fishlegs...if you're going to freak out...can you do it quietly please? Thumper headache coming on here," she complained.

Tuffnut coughed again. "Dude, Hiccup has the lamp and probably some spare batteries. We'll get some from him and we'll be fine."

Fishlegs relaxed a little. "Oh...okay. Hiccup will be prepared. That's good. Okay. We're okay."

Ruff added, "Yeah, now all we have to do is find Hiccup."

Fishlegs voice rose even higher in pitch. " _What do mean, 'we have to find Hiccup'? Wasn't he behind you?_ How could you lose him? What are we going to do? Oh, I can't breathe!" His hands grasped around his throat once more.

Ruffnut reached over and smacked Fishlegs up the back of his head. Hard.

"Chill dude. You're giving the place bad vibes."

"Oww!" Fishlegs protested the rough treatment as he rubbed the back of his head. "What was that for?"

Ruff rolled her eyes, "Duh…to stop you freaking out. You're using up all the oxygen," she told him sternly.

"Oh.." Fishlegs said, in a small voice. Even if he did feel quite panicked, he decided he'd better not use up all the oxygen, so he tried hard to steady his breathing. Until he coughed. Then he started to panic that coughing would use up more oxygen. So he tried not to cough as well. Till he almost turned purple. Then he coughed again.

Tuffnut's arm was around Toothless, and the very dusty wolf was tugging him back towards the cave in.

"Come on guys…let's go find Hiccup. Toothless wants to lead the way," he told the others.

"Turn your torch on," Ruffnut said to Fishlegs, who only nodded, determined not to use any more oxygen.

He flicked it on. Straight away they could see this cave in had been much more disastrous than the previous one. Rocks were piled high to the ceiling, and spread a long way across the floor.

"Where's Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked worriedly.

Toothless sneezed, the thick dust irritating his sensitive nose. He whined and tugged, but Tuff kept a firm grip.

"Not here. He must have gone the other way."

Fishlegs worried, "Do you think Hiccup's okay? I mean, he was closer to it than we were."

Tuffnut thought about it. "Nah…Hiccup's smart. He always manages to get out." He sneezed at the same time as Toothless. "Thith dusth ith getting ub by dose," he told the others, scratching his itchy blocked nose. "An Toofess too."

He tried to wipe his nose on his dusty sleeve, but that only made things worse and he sneezed again.

"Ewww, keep your goobers to yourself," snapped his sister, backing up from the nasal spraying she had just received.

"Let's start moving," Fishlegs suggested, keen to find Hiccup and get out of there. He turned and Ruff followed him to start the long trek back to the main tunnel. Tuffnut pushed the wolf on the shoulder, but Toothless refused to budge. Tuff could see the wolf was trying to sniff the air, but every time he sneezed instead. Toothless was very restless, giving a confused look to the lanky blonde then back to the darkened rocks.

Tuff told him, "Come on Toothless, we're going to find Hiccup."

But the wolf whined some more, giving Tuffnut an imploring look. Something in the wolf's actions concerned him, and he called to his friends, "Uh, guys? Toothless doesn't want to go."

-oOo-

Patience had never been one of Astrid's more prominent attributes, something she was all too aware of every time she glanced at the clock. In fact, she was positive the clock hands had been going backwards just to mock her. Eventually, however, it was time to go.

Hastily, she made an excuse to her parents, telling them she wasn't feeling too well and was heading home to rest up for a bit. Leaving the building in a fast-moving guilty haze, Astrid hopped into her car to supposedly drive towards her own small bungalow. Instead, she headed for the spot marked on the map provided by Heather.

It wasn't long before she found a clear place to park in amongst the isolated bushland. Her little car wasn't built to cope with this kind of terrain, so she was still up for a hike to her final destination. Astrid bit her lip against her rising anxiety, staring at the map Heather had given her. It hadn't escaped her notice that if she wanted to set up a trap for someone, the old mines would be a perfect place to do it. Hardly anyone went there...well, apart from the madcap twins of course...and the numerous mine shafts and caves provided plenty of places for hiding. Whether that was to hide themselves...or hostages...Astrid was trying very hard not to think about at this moment.

Collecting a small torch from her car, she locked it and headed down the scarcely visible path. The afternoon sun had not long started to set the shadows in the opposite direction, the heat still left in the day. Despite the warmth on her skin, she shivered a little as she glanced warily around, keeping an eye out for Heather. Astrid hadn't been out here too many times before, but it felt eerily quiet today, almost as if the air around her was holding its breath. Whether it was in anticipation or fear, she couldn't decide.

Astrid frowned as she walked, thinking about Heather's reasons for bringing her out here. The dark haired girl had told her that Hiccup's life was in danger. She didn't need any guesses to work out where the danger came from. Dagur. The same person that was also threatening Heather unless she did what he told her...apparently. Astrid shook her head, unable to imagine exactly what it was that her ex-school friend was involved in.

Obviously nothing good, that was for sure.

Astrid continued to scan her surroundings, checking for any signs of a trap that could possibly already contain her friends...and Hiccup. Nothing obvious presented itself, so she allowed her thoughts to drift slightly to the auburn haired young man. He had certainly captured her imagination with his warm green eyes that had rested on her only yesterday. Yes, he had a hard quality about him...which was to be expected after what he had gone through...but also a quiet vulnerability that appealed to her.

A sharp pang of bitterness abruptly pierced through her when she remembered his very loud and clearly spoken words against her this morning, when she had heard him talking behind her back to Ruffnut. Apart from feeling deeply hurt by his reaction, Astrid was also puzzled. It had been a bitter pill to admit she had been wrong and then apologize to him yesterday, but she had thought they were finally doing okay. So why did he say it? Perhaps her earlier antagonism still rankled with him and he was trying to get back at her?

Astrid stubbornly lifted her chin, her embarrassment replaced with self-righteous anger. If he wanted to play it like that, then fine…so could she. She didn't need him or any other man anyway. She was going to first make sure her friends were okay and if Hiccup benefited from that action, well…he could consider himself fortunate. After this was all over, she didn't want anything further to do with him.

Her footsteps crunched loudly on the gravel as she reached the tunnel entrance. Checking her map again, she decided she had the right one and cautiously drew near, flicking on her torch. She hesitated before entering the low space, and instead carefully leaned in and whispered as loud as she dared, her throat constricting slightly with the effort.

"Heather!"

"Astrid? Did anyone see you?" was the instant response.

Astrid sighed quietly in relief that she was on the right track before glancing around at the tree-filled landscape. The sun was still high in the sky, so it would be hard for anybody to sneak up on her now.

"No."

"Then hurry up and get in here before they do," Heather commanded urgently.

The idea of entering a dark and isolated tunnel with a semi-controlling sister of a murderous lunatic struck her as a bad move somehow, so she sought reassurance.

"Is it safe?" she asked, stalling till she could think of a better solution.

"Of course it's safe," Heather scoffed. "I'm in here, aren't I?"

"So…there's no trap down there?" Astrid asked, immediately kicking herself at the absurdity of her own question. If there was a trap, Heather would be unlikely to say _'hey yeah, by the way I have a trap for you. I hope you don't mind._ '

There was a nanosecond pause before Heather replied in a disparaging tone, "A trap? Who would I be setting a trap for? You?" She then sneered mockingly, "Why? Are you Hiccup's girlfriend now or something?"

Astrid cringed, the sharp barbs instantly finding a raw target inside her chest.

"No, of course not," she shot back, somewhat bitterly. That ship had definitely sailed.

"Then get in here," Heather ordered.

Astrid still felt conflicted, but with Heather's stinging words of back-handed reassurance that she wasn't a target, she decided to push forward. Shining her torch into the tunnel, Astrid had to bend at the waist to fit into the low space, and was forced to shuffle along for quite a way before it unexpectedly opened into a much larger cavern.

Groaning quietly, she stood up to stretch out the kinks. She was about to look around with her torch when suddenly a bright light shone in her eyes, making her temporarily blind. Automatically, her arm rose to shield her eyes even as she blinked against the spots. Disorientated, she heard Heather's low feminine voice.

"Hello, Astrid."

-OoO-

Deep underground and much further away, the Thorston twins and Fishlegs weren't really sure what to do. They wanted to go find Hiccup in the other tunnel, but Toothless was refusing to budge. Fishlegs and Ruffnut trained their torches on the pile of rocks as the wolf slowly stepped forward, sniffing. But each time he almost located the familiar scent, the dust in his nose would make him sneeze again.

Toothless turned his head to stare back at Tuffnut, making a small whining noise.

"Okay, T," Tuffnut decided. "We'll have a look, just for you."

Ruffnut handed him the almost flat torch, and he shone it up towards the top of the rock pile.

"HICCUP!" Tuff bellowed without warning, making the other two jump.

His sister grumpily held her aching head in her hands. "What did you do that for, you drudgeon?" she complained. Fishlegs stood wide eyed with his palm over his chest, waiting for his erratic heartbeat to calm down.

Tuffnut wasn't really concerned about them…although he was beginning to feel a little edgy about his missing friend. He watched Toothless pick his way through the rubble, still attempting to collect a scent in his dust filled nostrils. The wolf scratched at a rock, then nosed another out of the way. Tuffnut caught a flash of something pale in the torchlight. His eyes widened in realisation, and he pointed forward with a visibly shaking finger.

"Guys?" he said hoarsely, as Toothless frantically licked the half buried hand he had found. "It's Hiccup."

-oOo-

"Heather?" Astrid asked, her arm still shielding against the bright light. The light dropped, but it was a few more seconds before she was able to blink away the spots disturbing her vision.

She saw the raven haired woman turn away, her arms crossed loosely over her chest as she rubbed her upper arms in a distracted manner, her head hanging low.

"Heather?" Astrid asked again, her head tilting to catch the other girl's eye. Heather turned slightly towards her, looking up at her through her fringe. Astrid gasped when she saw the darkening bruise high on her cheek.

"Heather! What happened? Did someone hurt you?"

Heather nodded and dropped her gaze. "Dagur," she said softly, and Astrid shivered involuntarily.

"Dagur? Your brother did this to you?" she asked incredulously, stepping forward.

Heather nodded again.

"Why?" Astrid wanted to know.

"To remind me of my place," was the quiet answer.

"Oh, Heather...I'm so sorry," said Astrid, rushing her words. This mindless act of violence against his own sister only strengthened the story that Heather had already told...of being under Dagur's control and being forced to do the deranged will of her brother.

Heather shook her head. "Don't be...it's not your fault. But you can see now...that Dagur is not a man to be trifled with. That's why I asked you to meet me here," she began urgently.

Astrid was perplexed. "You said Hiccup was in trouble. Please tell me what's going on. What do you want me to do? Although I'm not sure how much good I would be," she added a little helplessly.

Heather gave a brief smile. "Just being here is already enough." Her green eyes flicked briefly over Astrid's form, her expression unreadable as she slowly paced around the blonde woman.

Warning bells started to sound in the back of Astrid's mind, and her eyes narrowed as she kept her gaze on the other woman. Heather smiled, but somehow the sight of it wasn't very comforting to Astrid. She wanted to head straight back up the low tunnel, but Heather was standing in the way.

"Oh don't worry Astrid. I have a plan…and you're a big part of it. To bring Hiccup to me that is," she said quietly.

The warning bells were ringing louder. Astrid asked slowly, "Why do you want Hiccup?"

Heather flashed a poisonous smile at her, causing Astrid to gasp softly, her eyes widening in realization. This _was_ a trap.

"Let's just say, I need him for a special project…and you're the perfect bait," was the disturbing answer, causing Astrid's heart to sink into her boots. She had been manipulated…again.

Resentment clenched tightly in Astrid's chest, her gaze flicking over Heather's shoulder at the exit. But Heather had planted herself quite firmly in the pathway, already aware of Astrid's intentions.

"You're seriously deranged, do you know that?" Astrid spat out bitterly, infuriated at herself and the girl she had once thought of as a friend.

Heather only raised a mocking eyebrow and gave a short laugh. "I'm not deranged, dear Astrid…just very, very, focused," she said intensely, her dark eyes hinting at some manic force behind them that Astrid had never seen before.

Astrid shifted, glancing towards the exit. "What do you want with him? Are _you_ going to kill him?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly in her anger.

Heather snorted. "No. I need him alive." She took a small step to the side.

"Why? He doesn't want anything to do with you, he's already made _that_ perfectly clear," Astrid retorted sarcastically, noting the extra gap.

The raven haired woman tilted her head, "Have you ever heard the saying, 'Behind every powerful man, there is an even more powerful woman?'"

Astrid frowned, her gaze flicking to the widening gap between Heather and the exit tunnel, as her captor moved a little more.

"I'm pretty sure it doesn't go exactly like that, but yes, I know it. Are you planning on using Hiccup to take control of his company?"

Heather laughed harshly. "I already have that. No….I have much bigger goals in mind. Hiccup is merely a step up the ladder. I'm aiming for the very top," she said lowly as she stared up at Astrid, her dark eyes flashing ominously.

"Not if I can help it," Astrid told her through gritted teeth, suddenly stepping forward and launching a fist at the other girl's face. Heather quickly blocked Astrid's punch. Astrid didn't stop there, she lifted her torch and flashed it in her captor's eyes, making Heather step back as she blinked madly against the spots in her eyes. Astrid didn't waste a second, dashing around the momentarily stunned girl and headed for the exit….only to run smack into the solid chest of another person.

"Ho, ho…what have we here?" an unfamiliar voice said, the man's hands gripped firmly around her arms. Astrid's torch clattered to the floor when she kicked and thrashed, but it had no great effect as she rapidly realised the strength the newcomer had. He viciously spun her around, grabbing her in a chokehold. Astrid scrabbled uselessly at the muscular arm around her throat, gasping for breath as he effortlessly pulled her away from the tunnel and back into the cavern.

Dagur released her and Astrid fell to the ground, coughing as she struggled to suck air back through her bruised windpipe. He didn't seem to pay her any further attention as he rounded on his sister.

"Nearly let her get away, didn't you?" he snarled.

Astrid didn't miss the mutinous glare on Heather's face as the girl retorted angrily, "I had it covered." She indicated upwards and Astrid glanced up to see the hidden net hanging over the entrance. Her eyes followed a barely noticeable rope leading from the net down the wall and across the floor to Heather's foot, where she had obviously been in full control the entire time.

Astrid's heart sank. She had been doomed the moment she walked in. She cursed herself for her own stupidity. Not only was she trapped, she had told nobody about this meeting. And now they were going to use her as bait to drag Hiccup in. She dreaded to find out what was going to happen next. But right now, she was livid.

"How could you?" Astrid rasped, daring to fight back. She staggered to her feet. There was no way she was going to take this lying down. She had made a serious error, but it wasn't going to stop her from trying.

The two siblings glanced at her with eyebrows raised, both amused by her stand.

"You asked for my help. I _trusted_ you," she shouted hoarsely, flinging her arms in the air for emphasis.

Dagur smirked as he watched the exchange between the two girls.

Heather shrugged carelessly. "Business is business. Sorry Astrid. Nothing personal."

-oOo-

Toothless carefully mouthed the pale hand and tugged. But it wouldn't budge. The action stirred Tuffnut into action and he headed straight towards the wolf. Now that he was closer, he could see Hiccup's outline on the floor amongst the rocks and dirt. Except for his legs, which were mostly buried. He was lying on his stomach, with his face tucked to the side. Because of the dust and the dim lighting, they had not been able to see him at all….until Toothless found him.

"Toothless, you are going to get the biggest bone in doggy history when we get out of here," breathed Tuffnut as he brushed rocks off the unconscious man's back.

"Is he still alive?" asked Fishlegs in a trembling voice.

Tuffnut placed two fingers under Hiccup's nose. He could feel the slight swirl of warm air covering them.

"He's breathing….does that count?" he asked.

Fishlegs and Ruffnut both gave a sigh of relief. "Yeah, that counts…mostly."

Tuff picked up some rocks and passed them back to his sister, "Take this. There's no room here."

Ruff grabbed the lumps and handed them back to Fishlegs, who dropped them along the edges of the tunnel. It took a fair bit of effort to uncover Hiccup, all while the torchlight was growing steadily more dull. There was a tense silence as they worked. None were game enough to say a word. Toothless continued to lick Hiccup's face and hand, pausing to whine when he got no response.

Tuffnut had almost managed to finish uncovering Hiccup's legs when they heard a very welcome sound….Hiccup groaned. The pale hand pushed away the anxious wolf's snout.

"You know that won't wash out," he mumbled into the dust before coughing.

"HICCUP!" yelled Tuffnut in excitement, hovering over his friend as the other two held their breath and waited. "Are you alive?" he asked anxiously.

Hiccup hissed in pain as he attempted to roll over. "Probably not," he grunted, doing his best to sit up with the wolf and Tuffnut's help. He leaned forward, holding his head in his hands and coughed.

"Well, you are more than six foot under dirt. That's totally buried by anyone's standards," laughed Tuffnut in relief.

"Thanks for summing that up," said Hiccup flatly, as he waited for the stars to settle and the darkness to stop swirling around him. He had one heck of a thumper headache, but didn't fancy his chances of finding any pain medication down here.

"We thought you were down the other tunnel," said Fishlegs.

"Yeah, but Toothless wouldn't leave," added Ruffnut.

Hiccup reached over to rub the wolf's fur. "Thanks bud. You saved me…again."

Toothless panted happily…then sneezed.

"Yup…could have gone another day without that," said Hiccup wryly as he wiped off wolf snot with a dusty hand.

"You seriously need a bath, dude," chuckled Tuff, helping Hiccup slowly and painfully to his feet.

"Some fresh air would be nice too," said the dusty walking disaster.

"Let's get out of here," said Tuffnut, watching as Hiccup gingerly tested his ability to stay upright.

Fishlegs sighed thankfully, "Finally….the most sense anyone has said all day."

The others chuckled as the big man went first, walking back out the way they had come. It was going to be a long day.


	9. Chapter 9

**M rating for violence in parts of this chapter. Remember, Hiccup is a man who's been relentlessly pursued for the last six years. He's about to snap. Very much OOC.**

* * *

"Finally!" shouted Ruffnut, when the four very dusty and very tired friends burst free from their underground nightmare into the open countryside.

"Fresh air!" said Fishlegs happily, a wide grin on his round features. He was more than excited to be free of his living tomb.

"Whoo hoo! We're still alive, baby!" whooped Tuff, punching both hands excitedly into the air.

Hiccup merely gave a huge sigh of relief, watching Toothless shake himself enthusiastically. The wolf was obviously feeling much more playful now that they were all free of the confined spaces, his tongue hanging joyfully sideways. He took off for a short, rejuvenating run to stretch his legs, before coming straight back to Hiccup for some much deserved attention.

Hiccup allowed them their few moments of celebration, but he knew they had to move. Now. Dagur was still at large, currently planning something nefarious. It made Hiccup's blood run cold to even think about it. He would feel a lot better if he was back at Gobber's house, keeping a finger on the pulse of activity.

"Come on guys, we've got to go," he said brusquely. He turned abruptly for the path that would lead them back to his truck, his long legs already striding away. Toothless trotted right beside him.

Three groans of dismay greeted this news.

"Oh man! Can't we rest first?" complained Ruffnut, still feeling the effects of a nasty headache.

"You can rest when you're dead," came the instant response. "Which may be sooner than you think, if you don't hustle now."

Those words instantly sobered up the group of three, reminding them forcefully of what they were about to face. They shot off after their unspoken leader.

The urgency of the situation meant they arrived back at the truck a lot faster than when they had left it. Piling into the vehicle with all their remaining supplies, Fishlegs bemoaned the loss of the irreplaceable book they had been looking for.

"It's not fair…We had to go through all that, and we _still_ lost the book. How are we going to prove Drago is a bad guy now?" he wanted to know.

Hiccup cast him a guarded look, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

"Who said we lost the book?" he asked quietly.

Three faces stopped and stared at him, their jaws slack. Hiccup ignored them, patting the side of the tray for Toothless to jump in. The wolf leapt in easily.

"Woah….hold on a moment," said Tuffnut in confusion. "I saw Dagur take the box. Do you mean to tell me, that he _doesn't_ have the book?"

The others were just as keen to know the answer, all staring intently at Hiccup. His only reply was to pull out a slightly battered book from under his vest where he had pocketed it after it fell out of the box during the fight with Dagur.

"Yessss!" squealed Fishlegs ecstatically, grabbing it off him and holding it tightly in his hands like a precious gift.

"So what does Dagur have?" asked Ruffnut.

Hiccup gave a definite smirk.

"An empty box."

-oOo-

Astrid was furious. With herself for falling so easily into a trap…and with the black haired woman in front of her. If looks could kill, the woman and her red-haired brother would both be dead by now. But in her current predicament, shooting fictional daggers was all Astrid could achieve.

She was securely tied to a support post in what was obviously a makeshift stronghold for the siblings, under the watchful gaze of the two hefty guards that had followed Dagur in shortly after she had been captured. Her phone had already been removed.

Astrid kept her attention on the sibling pair, noticing they didn't seem to have the most trusting of relationships.

"Did you bring it?" asked Heather harshly, referring to the metal box that contained the book of all Drago's illegal business transactions. Dagur had wanted to taunt Hiccup with it first before destroying every last page in front of him. Heather thought it was a bad idea but didn't dare say that to him.

Dagur triumphantly dropped the tin box on a flat rock with a loud thump. However, even to Astrid's ears, it sounded hollow. Dagur and Heather both snapped their faces towards the box.

"Nooo…." breathed out Dagur in disbelief. He quickly snatched the box up and ripped it open, only to find his worst fears confirmed.

He immediately threw the empty box across the cavern with several loud expletives.

 _"Cheater!_ Hiccup, you _cheater…_ you stole my book from me. ARGHH!" Dagur shouted in a blind rage. He screamed and picked up anything he could find just so he could fling it with great force across the room. Heather cautiously backed away from her brother, knowing full well what he was like when he was throwing a tantrum. Extremely dangerous came quickly to mind.

A wide-eyed Astrid did her best to stay as still as possible, not wanting to draw any of the deranged man's attention towards herself. She was upset before but now felt terrified for her very life. He obviously had no control over himself right now and if he decided to take his anger out on her…she didn't want to think about what the result would be.

When he had thrown everything possible Dagur's pent up rage finally eased a fraction. He then turned on his sister, his eyes glittering madly.

 _"YOU_ …go see if he's made it out of the mines…then bring him here. Tell him if he wants his precious Astrid back in one piece, he had better return my property," he snarled viciously, causing Heather to step back even further.

Heather flicked a frightened gaze towards the blonde woman but said nothing, choosing to disappear as fast as she could.

Astrid felt a cold sweat running down her spine when the cruel eyes of her captor pierced her own. He gave a demented hollow laugh, stepping slowly towards her reminding Astrid quite starkly of a dangerous predator stalking its prey. She watched him circle around her, holding her breath when he walked behind her where she couldn't see him until he came back within her vision on the other side. He was still staring at her, his expression tight with anger.

"Let's hope he gets the message on time… _Astrid_. We wouldn't have to start removing pieces off that pretty little body now, would we?" he told her roughly.

Astrid could only close her eyes and focus on keeping her breathing even to prevent a panic attack. She couldn't dare to think of the consequences if Heather or Hiccup failed in their missions.

 _'Please Hiccup….I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen, but I really need your help.'_

-oOo-

Hiccup, Fishlegs and the twins dragged themselves back through Gobber's front door, totally exhausted and quite dusty. But Hiccup still managed a wide grin for the old man when he tossed the book into Gobber's hands.

"You found it? Yer really found it, lad?" asked Gobber incredulously, staring at the young man in front of him.

Hiccup was leaning casually against the kitchen bench, his arms crossed, trying to appear as if he hadn't just pulled off the biggest breakthrough he'd had in the last six years.

"Yep. Every last page is there. Fishlegs checked," Hiccup replied with a lop-sided grin and a small nod.

Gobber stared down at the book in his hands with an almost reverential gaze. "After all this time…just like that?"

"Just like that," confirmed Hiccup. It wasn't like that at all, but the four friends had already decided not to mention the whole 'Dagur-tried-to-bury-us-underground' thing just yet.

Gobber suddenly threw his hook arm around his best friend's son, dragging him into an over-enthusiastic hug.

"Ungh...Gobber...air!" grunted Hiccup as the larger man held him in a tight grip.

Gobber released him but Hiccup could see the shine in the older man's eyes.

"Stoick would be proud of yer, lad," he said quietly, clearing his throat over the lump that had suddenly formed.

Hiccup nodded grimly. "I know," he said simply.

Gobber cleared his throat again, doing his best to keep his sentimental emotions in check. Waving the book in the air, he told Hiccup. "I know exactly where to put this to keep it safe."

"Thanks, old man."

While Gobber hid the book, Hiccup took the chance to have a shower and change out of his damaged and dusty clothes. By the time Gobber returned Hiccup was ready. The others had already left for their own homes to freshen up and return to their allotted stations for last minute preparations. With Gobber's help Hiccup was soon brought up to speed on what had happened while he was away. Fortunately, it had all gone like clockwork, thanks to all the work he had poured into it earlier.

"Hey Gobber…do you know how Astrid is?" Hiccup asked casually. He hadn't forgotten how depressed Astrid had appeared yesterday when she had finally accepted the fact of Heather's treachery. He had expected her to come with them to the caves this morning…although he was now glad that she hadn't…but he hadn't seen or heard from her since. She was obviously a very capable grown woman, but he couldn't help the twinge of concern for her wellbeing.

Gobber smirked at him, knowing full well what the _real_ reason behind the question was. The boy couldn't hide his true thoughts from him no matter how stony faced he tried to be. Gobber had known Stoick a lot longer than the lad, and Hiccup had inherited a lot of his father's mannerisms. Including the ones that showed his interest in a girl.

"Aye lad. She was working with her parents at the library today. They're not expected to report in till later," Gobber told him.

Hiccup nodded briefly, then kept on with what he was doing.

-oOo-

Heather was getting anxious. She had never seen her brother so out of control before and she was truly terrified of what he might do if she failed in her task. She had her own agenda with Hiccup…requiring him to stay alive…but with Dagur currently so volatile, she would easily pick her own life over Hiccup's.

Right now, though, she was still in jeopardy. She had been waiting here for a while and the afternoon sun had steadily moved further towards the horizon during that time but Hiccup had yet to surface from Gobber's house. She could see his truck still parked haphazardly in the driveway so he had obviously escaped whatever madness Dagur had inflicted on them earlier.

Feeling desperate, she decided a more direct approach was required. After pulling a notepad from her bag and hastily writing a note, she snuck closer to Gobber's front door through the veritable minefield of old engine blocks and rusting car bodies. This kind of stealthy activity was not her usual method, preferring to send others to do this part instead, but it was vitally important to her that this didn't get messed up. Which meant doing it herself.

Reaching the front door, she quickly slipped the note under the gap. Giving a loud knock on the solid wood, Heather then darted behind the closest object big enough to conceal her. She waited breathlessly, her heart pounding.

The door was suddenly yanked open by Gobber, making Heather jump. She held her breath while he scanned around his front yard, his heavy brows drawn in confusion. He didn't even seem to notice the folded note resting on the floor beside his wooden peg leg.

"I must be hearing things…I swore I heard someone knocking," she heard him muttering to himself.

He shut the door again, and Heather felt almost feint out of dismay. He hadn't even seen the note. Now what was she going to do? Heather slumped forward, tasting bile in the back of her throat at the predicament she was in. She didn't stay there long, beating a hasty retreat. She could only hope the note was found soon.

-oOo-

Astrid struggled against the bonds that held her tight against the post even though she could feel it was a useless effort. But she didn't want to give up yet. The red haired madman circled her slowly, eyeing her as he played with the tip of the sharp blade with his fingers. He gave a low, maniacal chuckle.

"Well…I must say, it was disappointing that Hiccup chose to cheat…" he began, a mad gleam in his eye. "But thanks to you, now he will have no choice but to bring my property to me."

Astrid cringed inside as she realised how foolish she had been, yet again.

"I doubt he'll even come," she said desperately. "He's not exactly happy with me, anyway," she told Dagur, unable to hide the tinge of sadness in her voice.

"Have a lover's tiff, did we?" Dagur asked, in an amused voice. "Never mind…he _will_ come, I have no doubt about that."

He suddenly leapt forward, the blade he held now at her throat. She gasped in shock, and stared fearfully at the steel flashing uncomfortably close to her jugular. He twitched the knife and she felt the tip push lightly under her chin, forcing her eyes up to him.

"You may even get to keep your pretty head if you do your job right," he told her with an evil grin. "I may even keep you for myself…I might even let Hiccup watch," he threatened, his voice low as he stared hungrily at her.

She shuddered at the suggestion.

"You wouldn't dare touch me," she told him forcefully, her eyes narrowed with sudden anger.

"Ooo, a feisty one," he cackled, lowering the knife to his side. "Hiccup must like it rough. I'll have to thank him when I see him."

He stepped forward and pressed his face close to hers. She could smell his hot breath on her cheek as she turned her face aside, her brows furrowed in worry.

"The last one he gave me wasn't much of a challenge," he taunted lowly. He pretended to swipe her neck with the blade. Astrid held her breath, sweat dampening her brow. "It was all over…just like that," he whispered into her ear.

He stood back again and laughed cruelly, a sound Astrid was rapidly learning to hate. She took in a needed gasp of air as she watched him cautiously, her mind whirling as she wondered what on earth had this madman done to Hiccup.

"How long will you last?" he asked her, circling her again.

She glared at him. "Long enough to make you pay," she growled at him through gritted teeth.

He suddenly lashed out, backhanding her viciously across the face. Her head jolted sideways from the impact. She cried out in anguish as the stinging on her flesh let her know exactly where he had connected.

"Just a little reminder…to keep your place," he snarled at her.

Astrid restrained a sob, not willing to give this madman the satisfaction of knowing how much it had hurt. Instead, she mutinously glared at him.

He smirked at her reaction, excited to see her determined resistance. Oh, she was going to be so much fun to break.

Hiccup was going to pay.

But right now, he had other things to do. He shot her a cold, calculating look. "Be a good girl and wait right here till he comes, won't you?"

He left the room, nodding to the guards on duty before ducking through the exit tunnel.

-oOo-

Ruffnut and Tuffnut were about to drive away from their café, having already double-checked their arsenal of traps laid out around the shop. They had another location they needed to be, and that's where they were going now. But before Tuff could turn the key, there was a shout.

"Hey guys! Stop!" shouted Snotlout.

Both twins rolled their eyes, but stayed where they were anyway. Snot ran up to their ute, before leaning heavily against it while he caught his breath.

"What do you want, Snot? We have to go," snapped Ruffnut.

Snotlout heaved in a deep breath. "I just wanna….puff…know if you want to...huff... hang with me today," he gasped, his face red from the impromptu exercise.

"Sorry Snot. Gotta go," replied Ruff curtly.

Snotlout's face fell dramatically. "You do?" he asked in such a despondent voice that the twins began to feel a little sorry for him. But only a little.

"Yes."

"Oh. I just wanted to hang with you guys. I can't find _anybody_ ," he complained.

Ruff's cheek twitched impatiently. "Why don't you go play with _Heather,_ " she suggested with a sneer.

Snotlout's face fell even further, if that was possible.

"I can't. She made me run all over town finding out stuff about that guy…and then she slammed the door in my face. I think she was just using me," he said forlornly.

The twins gave each other a shared look, not having to use words to know what the other was thinking. And the message they were sharing today was that even though Snot was an idiot, he wasn't a bad guy.

"She was. You do know that she and her brother are trying to hunt down Hiccup and kill him," Tuffnut told his friend bluntly.

Snotlout's eyes opened comically wide, and his jaw dropped open. "Really? No! I didn't know that….Wait! Does this mean I was helping her plan a murder?" he asked, suddenly concerned that he might be accused of something nefarious.

The twins took pity on him. "Nah. You're an idiot…not a killer. Even if Hiccup is your cousin."

This second bombshell took Snotlout's speech away for a few moments, his gums flapping soundlessly. "My cousin? What are you talking about? I only had one cousin and he died as a baby," he screeched back, totally flummoxed at this news.

Ruff snorted. "Uh…no, he didn't. Take a closer look next time," she suggested.

Tuff felt sympathy for his clueless friend but they didn't have the time to explain everything.

"Sorry Snot. We've gotta go. Berk will be under siege tomorrow and we need to be ready. Just don't tell anybody about this, okay? Not even your dad. We don't really know who the bad guys are yet. Can we trust you with this?" he asked seriously.

Snot gave him an incredulous stare. Tuffnut was never serious. And the news that Berk was in some kind of danger was threatening to floor him again. As if he didn't have enough mind-blowing information to process already.

"Can we trust you?" asked Ruff, demanding an answer when Snotlout said nothing.

Snotlout nodded dumbly. What else was he to do?

The twins shared a look again, intuitively asking the other a question. Could they really trust him?

Both gave a small nod. They could.

Ruff opened the passenger door and slid over.

"Get in."

-oOo-

Hiccup looked up from the table where he had been checking over his plans when he heard Toothless give a low growl. He watched Gobber limping along to the front door, only to come back soon after. The old man appeared perplexed as he shook his head.

"I could'a swore I heard knocking," he mumbled to himself. "Must be gettin' old. Need to get my hearing checked."

A sense of foreboding ran through Hiccup at those words. He tried to dismiss it and continue working, but the sensation only deepened. Deciding to check it out, he left the table and silently retraced Gobber's steps to the front door with Toothless hot on his heels. He saw straight away what Gobber had missed.

A note with his name on it.

Snatching it up, he opened it to read the few words there.

 _'He's got Astrid. Meet me at her house. Bring the book.'_

Hiccup swore loudly, his hands immediately beginning to shake with an incredible anger. This was Gustav all over again. He was not going to allow it. Dagur had to be stopped.

Now.

Smashing the note in his hand, Hiccup's face was rigid with fury as he determinedly spun on his heels to collect his keys.

"Oi…where ya goin'?" asked Gobber, noticing Hiccup's sudden dash.

"To check on Astrid," was the terse reply.

It didn't take him long to careen his truck through the eerily quiet streets to the address printed on the note. Slamming on the brakes in Astrid's driveway, he barely gave himself enough time to shut down the engine before he was striding down the path to the black haired woman half hidden in the shadow of the trees in front of the house.

Before she'd even had a chance to say anything, he was on her. His hand was wrapped around her throat in a bruising stranglehold as he shoved her roughly against the wooden walls of Astrid's home.

"Where is she?" he snarled, ignoring the frightened green eyes that stared back at him.

"At the mines," she choked back, pulling desperately on his arms. "He wants the book in exchange for Astrid," she managed to tell him.

Her eyes widened when she felt the pressure on her throat increase.

"Does he also want you?" Hiccup asked harshly, thinking how easy it would be to snap her thin neck. To repay for all the lies she had fed Astrid...and him. To repay Dagur for Gustav.

"Yes!" she squeaked, the fear in her eyes almost tangible. "Please… I'll do whatever you want. Let me go, and I'll take you to her," she gasped in short, uneven breaths.

For a few heart-stopping moments, Heather thought the furious lean man in front of her was going to kill her anyway. But then he suddenly released her. She sagged heavily against the building, her legs barely strong enough to hold her upright while she sucked in precious air.

He let her fill her lungs for a few moments before roughly grabbing her upper arm and dragging her towards his truck.

"Get in. Show me where she is or so help me, it will be the last thing you do," he warned in a low, fierce growl.

Heather nodded meekly, climbing in.

-oOo-

The sky had already been painted with the beautiful pinks and purples that indicated night was almost upon them by the time Hiccup's truck skidded to a halt on the gravel road beside Astrid's little blue sedan. The fading light made Hiccup's face appear even more grim, if possible.

Heather was quick to exit the cab and head down the path towards the tunnel entrance. If she had any thoughts about escaping her captor they were soon put to rest when his bruising hand landed on her upper arm. He briefly paused to grab the axe from his toolbox.

"Oww…Hiccup, you're hurting me," she complained, struggling to keep up with his long strides as he practically dragged her towards the cave. Toothless had already disappeared into the shadows.

Hiccup said nothing but scowled more darkly. Dagur had Astrid. That knowledge was about to make him snap. There was no way he was going to allow his tormentor take away another innocent life. Especially not a fighter like her. This was going to end. Tonight. If he had to sacrifice the black haired woman in his hand…so be it. She had nothing to offer anybody except pain and humiliation anyway.

Hiccup could see the feint outline of the tunnel's entrance in the fading light but he knew better than to just march in. Dagur would be expecting him. He came to a complete halt, the girl in his grip stumbling. His eyes narrowed, his glare shrewd as he scanned all the shady areas surrounding the entrance, noting all the best possible ambush locations.

His eye was immediately drawn to movement of shadows towards the left. His chest heaved with suppressed rage but he kept calm knowing full well how dangerous the red-haired Berserker could be. He jerked the axe into a better position, ready to use it if needed.

A loud growl reached his ears confirming his suspicions, followed by an obvious scuffle as Toothless found something to attack. A man's strangled cries were heard before suddenly being cut off. The branches of a low bush were shaking wildly. Hiccup tried to separate the shadows, when the wolf's growls became a pained yelp.

 _"Toothless!"_ he called out desperately, his hand almost crushing Heather's arm in his grip as he automatically took a panicked step towards the sound. A loud metallic 'clang' echoed back towards him. He stopped.

They had his wolf.

Hiccup became even more incensed.

"DAGUR!" he suddenly shouted, his axe waving wildly in the air. Heather jumped violently beside him. His grip tightened. Heather whimpered.

The shadows moved again.

"My, my," tsked Dagur, his eyes glittering with an evil gleam as he emerged from the grey and sauntered towards them. "What do we have here? The gallant hero trying to rescue his princess?" He kept his eyes trained on Hiccup, not even acknowledging his sister.

Hiccup yanked Heather closer to him, almost pulling her off her feet. "Where is she?" he growled, his axe held threateningly in front of her stomach. Heather's eyes opened wide in alarm, sucking in a gasp of terror at his actions. The man who held her was nothing like the Hiccup she had known, gentle and kind. This man was hard and unyielding... and daring to bargain with her life. She felt very much like a pawn. It wasn't a position she cared to be in, not knowing if either side was going to relent.

"Where's the book?" Dagur snarled back.

"I don't have the book," said Hiccup flatly, his narrowed eyes never leaving the muscular man in front of him.

"You don't have the book?" shouted Dagur in disbelief. "Are you serious? Do you want the girl to die?" he ranted, his face twisted in fury and frustration. He ran his hands through his partially shaved hair, shaking in his agitation. Throwing a tantrum, he stamped his foot and yelled, "NO, NO, NO!"

Hiccup gave a disdainful 'hmpf', as if childish behaviour from the other man was to be expected. 'Typical'

"It's in a safe place. Do you think I'm stupid? If I had brought it you would have killed me and Astrid anyway," he said loudly.

Dagur glared wildly at Hiccup, before shrugging in acknowledgement, "Ngh…fair call."

Hiccup subtly shoved Heather forward, the axe still held lethally close to vital organs. "Where is she?" he demanded again with a scowl.

Dagur gave a maniacal laugh, perversely enjoying that he still held the trump card.

"She's kind of tied up right now," he mocked the younger man." He waved dramatically towards the entrance of the tunnel as if in invitation to enter. "You're welcome to join us. I'm sure she'd be pleased to see you," he told him with a sinister sneer.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "I don't want to be buried again, thank you."

Dagur's grin was distinctly unpleasant. "You don't believe she's here, do you?" Spinning smartly on his heel, he strode towards the entrance of the tunnel. Cupping his hand around his mouth he shouted loudly, "Did you hear that, Astrid? He doesn't think you are even here. He wants to leave you with me so we can play," he taunted maliciously.

"HICCUUUP!" came Astrid's muffled scream.

Hiccup froze in horror. The sound of her calling his name so desperately made his gut twist painfully and his blood run cold.

"Hiccup, please help me," Dagur pretended to beg. "Don't let the big, bad Dagur hurt me," he finished, wringing his hands together for emphasis.

Hiccup saw red. His rage boiled over and he shoved Heather roughly to one side, causing her to fall. She hurriedly scrambled out of the way. Gripping his axe with two hands he rushed towards Dagur, intending to slice the man in two.

Dagur only opened his eyes wide in delight, dancing backwards at each determined swing of the lethal blade. One of Dagur's men, beefy and with a full beard, emerged from the shadows and thrust an axe towards Dagur who swiftly grabbed it.

Now the two mortal enemies were evenly matched. Dagur went on the attack, his axe clashing with Hiccup's. The two grunted as it became a contest of strength, both pushing against the other. Hiccup had to yield first, having less pure muscle power. He stepped back, only to attack again, not willing to give up. Dagur responded, laughing maniacally while the two swung their weapons violently at each other, neither able to gain the upper hand just yet.

Dagur was a highly trained fighter, full of cunning and treachery. Hiccup had speed, tactics, and was lighter on his feet. But Dagur also had several other men.

He pushed Hiccup backwards, and the taller man took a few steps to regain his balance. His axe came up, ready to charge, but it was suddenly ripped from his grasp and thrown away. His arms were wrenched backwards and pinned behind him, with rope swiftly wrapped tightly around his wrists.

"DAGUR!" he screamed in frustration, knowing he had lost…again. He continued to fight and struggle wildly, but there were four of them with weapons and only one of him. A very uneven contest.

The red-haired man stood back and sneered vindictively, jerking his chin to indicate the cave.

The tunnel was narrow and low so one of Dagur's brutish henchmen had to drag a firmly trussed up Hiccup along the ground. He grunted at the rough treatment, gritting his teeth against the pain of small rocks cutting into his battered body. He did not want to give Dagur the satisfaction of hearing him cry out.

Once inside the cavern, he was hauled up and pushed against a support post, his arms yanked painfully backwards and tied securely behind it. He could see Astrid staring at him, ashen faced and mouth opened in shock. Hiccup grimaced. He had come here to save her, not get himself and Toothless caught. Although that _had_ been Dagur's intention the entire time, he reminded himself grimly.

Hiccup was furious, his eyes narrowed and his chest heaving as Dagur planted himself in front of him.

"Where's the book, Hiccup?" his red-haired captor demanded in a low, dangerous tone.

"You won't find it," Hiccup told him through tightly clenched teeth.

Dagur only reaction was to move towards Astrid, the sound of his blade being unsheathed causing them both to stop breathing. Astrid closed her eyes tightly when it landed delicately on her throat.

Hiccup growled, fighting his restraints. "Leave her alone, Dagur!" he yelled. "She doesn't know where the book is."

He suddenly stopped struggling and glared at his enemy with hate filled eyes. "You're just a coward, Dagur. Hurting those who can't fight back. You can't even take me on without back up," he spat out forcefully.

Dagur froze at his words, then swiftly changed direction, his blade under Hiccup's neck instead. Hiccup didn't even flinch, only challenging him with steely-eyed resolve and his chin lifted high.

"Oh, you're so brave when your opponent is tied up. Is that the only way you can win, Dagur? Why don't you take me on, one on one, nobody else to help you?" he taunted.

Astrid was in shock, only able to breathe in short gasps. What was Hiccup doing? He was going to get them both killed. Her lips were trembling and she dared not say or do anything. She knew these two men had history, but hadn't quite understood how violently fierce it was. She could only stare wide-eyed as she watched the conflict on Dagur's face while he struggled with what he wanted to do, and what needed to be done. Hiccup's gaze was bold and calculating, and she could only wonder at what was going through his mind.

Suddenly Dagur stood up straighter as he obviously came to a decision. He turned and swiftly strode over to Astrid, his blade out. She cried out in pain and pure fright when the sharp edge cut through the skin under her jaw at the same time as Hiccup desperately yelled out "NO!"

Dagur stopped, pulling his blade back and watching in twisted satisfaction as the blood trickled down her throat from the shallow wound. Astrid gasped in shock, her eyes shut tight against the painful burning sensation. Hiccup was horror-struck, his mind immediately flashing back to another person, a young man, dying because of him.

Dagur wore an evil grin. "Don't think I'm finished with you just yet," he warned Astrid, before turning back to Hiccup who glared at him murderously.

"Just a reminder of who you're messing with," he told Hiccup with a malicious smirk. "You should be grateful that right now I need you alive. Tomorrow though…that's another story. You and I will get that chance for the one-on-one you so badly desire…with only one winner," he promised darkly, pushing himself so close into Hiccup's face, that Hiccup could see the fine red lines pulsing in Dagur's eyeballs.

Hiccup growled and Dagur laughed coldly, stepping back. "Tonight though, you and your 'girlfriend' will be my guests. Don't want you interfering with the 'oh so important' meeting with the Mayor now, would we?"

He turned to stride out the room, but paused to torment Hiccup further and leave him fuming. "Somebody has to know where that book is. Let's see if they won't hand you... and the book... over on a silver platter to save their own necks."

Dagur snapped savagely at one of his men. "Guard them well…if you value your life," making the selected guard pale and hastily salute with a nervous nod.

"Tomorrow Hiccup…tomorrow," Dagur called out with feigned casualness, before clicking his fingers sharply and leading the rest of his men back through the narrow tunnel. They soon disappeared.

Astrid was ashen faced and trembling, her throat coated in red, the blood soaking into her shirt. She stared at Hiccup with a mixture of pain, fright, and sorrow.

"Are you okay!" he asked anxiously, worried about her passing out on him. Hiccup's heart was still pounding rapidly in his chest. He had been absolutely terrified watching Dagur slice through her. He'd taken a huge risk antagonizing Dagur in the hope he would leave Astrid alone...but it had backfired on him. She was still alive, but that didn't dampen the agonizingly heavy burden of guilt he now carried.

She nodded, wincing as the action caused her neck to sting.

"I'm so sorry, Hiccup. I didn't…" she started to say, but he cut her off with a shake of his head and a pointed glance towards their guard.

"No talking!" yelled the burly man, pointing his spear menacingly at them.

"Okay, okay…keep your beard on," placated Hiccup, waiting for him to settle down. Once he did, Hiccup turned his attention back to the blonde beside him. She looked awful. He could see the dark shadows under her eyes showing she was clearly exhausted, along with the darkening bruise over her cheek and the wound on her neck. The bleeding had thankfully slowed down so she wasn't in danger of losing too much blood, but the sight of it still caused Hiccup to feel like he had been stabbed in his own chest. Dagur hadn't killed her but the warning was there. It was only a matter of time before he did.

He noticed she was shaking on her legs, the shock and the strain of standing for so long obviously affecting her. He waited till she glanced in his direction again before he wiggled his shoulders at her. When she frowned, wondering what he was doing, he mimed sliding down the pole. Her eyes lit up in understanding, silently mouthing 'oh' before she followed suit. When she finally made it to the ground, he saw her sigh in relief. Her shoulders were still pulled tight behind her, but at least her legs could gain a reprieve.

She whispered, "Thank you," which was something Hiccup didn't feel he deserved. It was only because of him that she was in this situation. He frowned and looked away, not wanting her to look at him with that expression of gratefulness. He was still furious with himself for jumping so blindly into Dagur's trap and felt a fool for thinking that Dagur would be a man of honour and keep the fighting between the two of them. Now both Astrid and Toothless had to pay for his recklessness.

Hiccup knew the wolf was still alive, for he had heard the howls echoing through the tunnel. Toothless was out there and trapped…but for how long he wasn't sure. He only knew that all of them had to be gone before sunrise if they expected to keep living.

Hiccup glanced up at the guard who had made himself comfortable, ready for his all-night shift. There was only the one man inside the cavern, but there were likely to be others outside. He didn't believe Dagur was so careless as to leave them in the care of just one solitary guard. Especially when the situation was so tense with the upcoming meeting between Drago and Mayor Ingerman.

When the time was right, Hiccup would make his escape. After that, he only had to release Astrid, somehow find and rescue Toothless, then get them all past the well-guarded entrance and sneak back into town without their absence being noticed. Easy. Obviously nothing could go wrong with that plan, nothing at all.

Hiccup snorted at the idea.

He risked a peek at Astrid. Already her head was lolling forward in exhaustion, the blood drying darkly on her pale skin. How long had she been held here against his will?

Now that his panic had started to subside, a sharp pang of guilt hit him in the gut once more, but for more reasons than just her capture. For some reason she seemed to like him, despite all her defensive tactics. He could admit his own attraction to the blonde woman, however ill-timed it was. She intrigued him though.

Gobber had already hinted at a painful past, and Hiccup had seen enough of her stubborn pride to know she wouldn't reveal anything willingly. Could he get her to talk? Did he even want to know more?

Contemplating Astrid and what she meant to him, Hiccup found himself wondering what it would be like to freely love somebody. As soon as the thought appeared, he squashed it down again. Those were the kind of thoughts he couldn't afford right now. Dagur had them trapped and despite the reprieve, he could easily take her away from him too.

Hiccup's head rolled back to the post, his eyes screwed tight against the turmoil in his heart. Was it even possible for him to care about another person anymore? The last six years had taken a heavy toll on his emotional life, and he found it hard to trust others. Or more to the point, trust that others would survive a friendship with him.

For Dagur had made sure to 'relieve' him of the burden of any individual who would dare to show an interest in him; either by making them disappear, or scaring them so much they couldn't get away from him fast enough. For this reason Hiccup had always kept his distance, never allowing anybody the chance to partake in a conversation of any worth.

Until he had met Tuffnut.

Hiccup smiled indulgently to himself at the thought of the madcap young man who had demanded to be his friend while dragging three others along with him. All of them had faced off with Dagur, and none had run screaming from Hiccup as a result. In fact, they had done their best to continue to help him.

Especially Astrid. In fact, she had taken the biggest hit of all of them. Having to bravely go against an old school friend once she had found out the truth, then somehow ending up here. Despite the initial bad reaction they'd had to each other, she had still sought him out.

Hiccup flicked his gaze towards the guard, watching him from the corner of his eye. The man remained alert, although he would blink rapidly every now and again to keep himself awake. Then he yawned. Hiccup smirked to himself. It wouldn't be long before the man was out cold.

He glanced back towards Astrid, frowning thoughtfully. Why was she here? He found he wanted to know. They had a little time before they would be able to escape. Maybe this might be the only opportunity he would have before things went totally haywire, to really talk with her. Who knew what the final outcome of the war would be, or even if he would have this chance again? Hiccup did not want to let that chance slip through his fingers.

He knew the meeting between the Mayor and Drago would be held tomorrow. It was vital that Hiccup was there to lead the charge against the inevitable battle that would occur. He didn't want the people of Berk to be taken over and hurt by Drago.

Hiccup gritted his teeth in anger at the idea. For the first time in six years, he had supporters willing to back him. And if it took every last breath in his body, he wasn't going to let them down.

-oOo-

Heather stumbled in through the door of her hotel room. She looked a mess and she wondered how she had managed to slip past the front desk without attracting attention. Throwing the room key on the table, she headed straight for the bathroom, intending to take a long, hot soothing shower.

Stripping off her torn and dirty clothes, Heather stepped under the refreshing spray and lifted her face to allow the water to flow freely over her tired body, the bruises on her neck and arm already turning a deep purple. Heather felt shaken… and incredibly useless. Hiccup had used her as a bargaining chip, but Dagur hadn't even budged. She highly doubted her brother would have lifted a finger, even if Hiccup had actually gone ahead and sliced her open. Which was a terrifying thought.

In the car ride back her brother had said nothing to her, only a rough 'Get out,' when they had reached the hotel's front entrance. Once she was standing outside the car, he had spun the tyres and taken off again without another word.

It made her furious. After all that she had done for him he couldn't show her an ounce of compassion or loyalty? Heather seethed, curling her fist and banging on the tiled wall in frustration. There was no way Dagur was going to have any more say in what she did.

Tonight's events only strengthened her resolve to carry out her goal…to become more to Drago than just one of his minions. Her plan had originally involved bringing Hiccup in herself, to claim the glory and prestige first. Leaving that note under the twins door had been meant to draw him out before her brother could get his hands on the prize. When that had failed, she had targeted Astrid instead once she had realised the blonde woman had a crush on Hiccup. Even though Dagur had known about it, she had risked everything on the off-chance that Hiccup would arrive early…and Dagur would arrive late. She hadn't taken into account her brother's increased homicidal tendencies, so that option was now closed.

Heather frowned in determination. There were other ways to get what she wanted… and she wanted power.

Even if she had to seduce Drago himself to get it.

-oOo-

Snotlout stuck close behind the twins when they entered through Gobber's front door. He was wide eyed, searching around the old man's house and seeing a LOT of mechanical spare parts. Snotlout had never been here before, and the house seemed to be more mechanics shop than home.

The twins stopped in front of a couch that was embedded in between a couple of Buick hoods and a sloppily stacked pile of boxes with 'Carburettors' marked on them.

Gobber hobbled out of the kitchen.

"Oi! What's _he_ doing here?" he immediately demanded, stabbing his meaty finger towards the black haired man cowering behind Ruff and Tuff.

Tuff waved at the old man dismissively.

"He's cool. He's just an idiot…not a traitor," he told Gobber.

"Hey!" said Snotlout in objection, standing up. When he caught sight of the heavy set man glaring at him, he scrunched his shoulders and hid behind the twins again.

Gobber stomped closer and poked Snotlout hard in the chest. The young man had to take a step back to regain his balance.

"Are yeh in cahoots with your dad?" Gobber asked suspiciously.

Snotlout was bewildered at the question. "Er…no?"

Tuff shrugged. "See? Stupid."

Gobber stood back, stroking his moustache thoughtfully and humming. His piercing gaze made Snotlout feel like the old man could see right through him. He gulped audibly, his face blanching at the inspection.

Finally, the old man seemed to have come to a decision. He waved the trio on with a warning. "Alright…he can stay. But you two are responsible for him. I can'na have no messing up on this, do yer hear?"

The twins gave Gobber easy grins and a sloppy salute. "No problems. Keep the idiot at bay. Got it."

"Bah. Get on with it," Gobber grumbled at them, hobbling out of the room.

Snotlout's pride felt a little bruised from the 'idiot' tag, but that was soon forgotten when the twins showed him the extensive plans that had been made by Hiccup…and themselves, of course…for the protection of Berk. He still took them seriously when they first threatened to remove every one of his limbs…including the most precious one…if he dared spout a single word to anybody else without their say-so. He quickly nodded his agreement, his eyes widened in fear of the painful reprisals. He knew the Thorston's were a mad bunch and while he didn't think they would deliberately maim him, he couldn't be sure they wouldn't extract some other kind of heinous punishment on him.

The night grew longer while Snotlout dutifully tagged along behind the twins. He watched and listened to those around him preparing for a huge battle that he still didn't fully understand. The only real thing he knew was that it revolved around Hiccup, the stranger who was apparently his long believed dead cousin. Listening to Tuff spout off about all the things Hiccup had done in an almost reverential tone, Snotlout became confused. Something seemed to be missing.

He finally tapped on Tuffnut's shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Where's Hiccup?"

-oOo-


	10. Chapter 10

**WARNING; This chapter has graphic violence in parts. Reminder this is an M rated story.**

* * *

It was several hours later, that Hiccup woke with a start. It was almost pitch black with only a few dim lamps to keep away the shadows. His shoulders were feeling tight and he did his best to roll them considering the restrictions that were forced upon him. He had developed a crick in his neck when he had fallen asleep, although how he managed to sleep at all was a mystery to him.

Hiccup checked on the guard first but the heavy snoring already told him the man was out. Next he glanced at Astrid. Her eyes were closed, her face screwed up in discomfort. He could see she was doing the same as him, trying to move to relieve the deep ache in her shoulders from being in such an awkward position for so long.

"Psst, Astrid," he whispered, not wanting to disturb their guard. "You awake?"

She cracked open one bleary eye at him. "Yeah," she sighed heavily, not bothering to suppress a yawn.

"How are you holding up?" he asked in concern. He knew how he was feeling, but she'd been in this position for longer than he had.

"I'll live," she declared flatly, then snorted at the irony of her own comment.

Hiccup chuckled darkly. "Yeah…seems a bit bleak at the moment, doesn't it?"

Astrid's worried gaze turned to him. "Is he really going to kill us?" she wanted to know.

He shrugged as best he could. "Seems that way."

Her expression crumpled for a moment, but she managed to shove that aside, taking in a deep breath and putting on a brave face. "Hiccup….I really wanted to say how sorry I am…for everything."

"None of this is your fault, Astrid," he replied softly.

"Yes, it is," she insisted. "I was the stupid one who thought Heather was my friend…when everybody else saw right through her. And even after all that, I still believed her," she finished bitterly.

Hiccup fixed his eye on her for a moment. "How _did_ you get here?" he asked thoughtfully.

Astrid lowered her eyes in shame. "It doesn't matter anymore. I can't change anything."

"It matters to me," he said gently.

She looked away from him, the self-loathing of guilt and shame of her own actions stilling her tongue. It was one thing to feel such deep regret. It was totally another to admit the reasons for it.

"Hey, Astrid. It's okay. You're not the only one who fell for her tricks. I did too…remember? I lost my dad because of her."

She gave a shuddering sigh. Despite her shame, she knew she owed him an explanation. If they were going to be dead in a few hours anyway, he might as well know all her terrible secrets.

"I'm so sorry, Hiccup. I don't know why I believed her…but she found me and told me Dagur was forcing her to do things…and that she really cared about you, but that you were in danger…and even though I knew you didn't want me to help, I thought I should try to do something…" she said quietly before he suddenly interrupted.

"Woah, woah…back up a moment there. What did you just say?"

Astrid looked over at him in surprise. He was staring at her in complete astonishment, and she wasn't sure what part he was referring to.

"I thought I should do something?" she asked in confusion.

He shook his head energetically, then winced when his neck objected to the sudden action. "No, no…before that."

"You were in danger?" she said hesitantly.

"No…the bit where you thought I _didn't_ want your help," he clarified, his expression still shocked and concerned. When had that idea implanted into her mind? Ruffnut had already told him Astrid wanted to help, but then she never showed up.

His eyes narrowed as he calculated the time frame where something had obviously gone wrong. The same time a certain note had appeared.

Astrid bit her lip and turned away again.

"Please Astrid, can you just tell me? Why didn't you turn up this morning?" he pleaded with her. He needed to know, to confirm his suspicions.

Her chest heaved with pain that had nothing to do with her aching arms, and had everything to do with the heart breaking words of rejection she had heard from his very own mouth. She had felt a fool then, and she felt a fool now. And to be forced to repeat his own words about her was more than she could handle right now.

Hiccup could see her very obvious reluctance, so he tried again. "Why would you think I didn't want your help? I had asked Ruffnut to make sure you were okay the night before. I even invited you to come back to help out. Didn't you believe me?" he asked her.

His voice was level and calm, but Astrid could still hear the hurt behind it. She mentally cringed, knowing he had gone out of his way to ensure she hadn't felt rejected. But the sound of his harsh words telling Ruffnut a different story still made her bitter.

She couldn't help her sharp tone. "I did…until I heard you telling Ruff that 'hell would freeze over' before you accepted my help," she slung at him caustically. "You weren't exactly quiet about it."

She swallowed thickly and looked away, refusing to break down in front of him. If they were going to die, they might as well lay out the whole ugly truth first.

Hiccup gave a quiet gasp. "Astrid…I…I'm so sorry you had to hear that. I didn't know you were there otherwise I would have explained straight away."

She interrupted harshly, "Don't bother. It was pretty obvious…"

He cut her off, "It wasn't obvious. I wasn't talking about you at all. Ruffnut had showed me a note that Heather had placed under her door. She was the one I was talking about…not you."

Astrid closed her eyes against the sudden pang that hit her chest, not really knowing how to feel about his words. They could be that…just words…designed to hide his true intentions of deceit and manipulation. _'Just like Heather,_ ' she thought to herself bitterly.

Or he could be telling the truth.

She didn't know which was worse.

Hiccup had been supported by almost the entire town so if he was manipulating anybody, he was doing an exceptionally good job at it. But if he was telling the truth, then she had made a complete and utter fool of herself…again. Only this time, instead of helping Hiccup, she had actually managed to get him caught by Dagur.

"Astrid? It's okay, you didn't know," he said softly, seeing her face twist into self-loathing.

"But I should have…" she insisted. She gave a loud exasperated and frustrated groan, causing Hiccup to glance quickly at the guard. The man hadn't even moved. He turned back to Astrid. The way she held herself told him something else was worrying her.

"What is it?" he asked gently.

She shut her eyes, debating whether or not she could tell him what else had gone through her mind when she had heard Hiccup's supposed words of rejection. After a few moments silence, she decided she had nothing left to lose. She kept her eyes closed and spoke in a low, dispirited tone.

"It's just that…every time I think I've found a guy, I get my heart broken. So why would you be any different," she said cynically. "I don't even know what I was thinking about in the first place…you rejected me right from the start."

Hiccup cringed, remembering the occasion well. "I'm sorry about that. Dagur has been pretty thorough in making sure anybody I get close to, disappears pretty fast."

Astrid snorted, "Yeah…I've noticed."

He chuckled darkly.

An uneasy silence settled between them for a few moments. Hiccup couldn't shake what Astrid had started to say earlier.

"So why did you try to help me, then? If you thought I didn't want your help?" he asked.

Astrid felt embarrassed by the whole thing now, her pride crumbling to a new low. Any other time, she would have lifted her chin and denied it all, but with such an uncertain future, there just didn't seem to be any point anymore. Being stubborn wasn't going to change what happened. She took in a deep breath, hesitantly deciding to be candid and tell him the truth.

"Because I couldn't let you die, no matter how angry I was," she confessed quietly.

Hiccup smiled softly into the gloomy surroundings. "Astrid…thank you. That was one of the nicest things anybody has ever done for me."

She shot him a disbelieving look. "You like being tied up in a cave?" she asked in bewilderment. For that was certainly where her actions had led them both.

He laughed quietly. "No…that part stinks. But it's not every day that somebody does something so selfless for me…regardless of how misguided it ended up being," he finished before she could interrupt again.

He chuckled and shook his head. "All of the gang have done so much for me, even you…and I don't really understand why. But I'm so glad you have. I really appreciate it. I really appreciate _you."_

She gave a half smile at his words, a warm glow starting to build at his kindness and the way he hadn't held any of her mistakes against her. Astrid glanced over, only to find him staring at her, his green eyes crinkling in amusement and obvious affection. It made her insides turn to mush.

"You know, from the first moment I met you, you certainly had my attention," he told her casually.

She raised a brow in disbelief. "Really," she said flatly.

He shrugged. "I know it may not have appeared that way, but it's true. Why else did you think I kissed you?" he asked.

"Uh…to teach me some kind of lesson?" she told him, hazarding a guess. Her cheeks were already warming up, the memory of that moment firmly imbedded in her mind. "I'm assuming you've kissed a few women before," she added, almost harshly, her chest tightening at the thought.

He shot her a guarded look, before relaxing. "It's not something I do on a whim, if that's what you're thinking. No, it was because you pushed my buttons. You struck me as someone I would like to know better…but that was never going to happen while Dagur was on my tail. So, I needed to keep you as far away from me as possible… to avoid temptation."

She breathed out a deep sigh, thinking about this. Hiccup had told them almost straight away that he couldn't have friends…even Gobber had mentioned it to her. Their very presence in this cave showed the truth of those words. It made his reaction a lot more understandable. She felt herself soften towards him.

"I…I liked you too," she admitted shyly. It felt like such a relief to finally say those words. Ruffnut had been shoving that piece of information into her face the entire time, but Astrid hadn't wanted to confirm it. That would have been way too mortifying after what had happened that first night.

Hiccup gave her a small grin. "I know." Astrid floundered in a pool of embarrassment at that. Was she really that transparent?

"You know, once this is all over…I'd like to take you out for a coffee," he told her with confident ease.

She blushed, feeling like a school girl. "And I'd like to let you," she responded softly. "Provided we actually get out of here," she added with a sad half smile, not thinking that was even possible.

The guard snuffled. Hiccup snapped his attention towards him, instantly alert and watching with shrewd eyes. The man scratched idly at his beard, but then his hand flopped back into his lap, the loud snores starting up again.

Hiccup could see the gloom in the cave had started to lift slightly, and he supposed that morning would break soon. If they were going to do something, now was the time to do it. He noticed Astrid shuffling uncomfortably.

"Are your arms hurting?" he asked in concern.

"Well, yeah…but that's not my main problem," she said, glancing over at him in hesitation.

Hiccup's brows furrowed in worry. "What is it?" he asked.

Astrid kept her eyes locked to the floor. "I have to pee," she confessed quietly, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Hiccup's eyes opened wide in understanding. "Oh…OH…"

"Yeah….oh," groaned Astrid, feeling so utterly humiliated. If she didn't get to a bathroom soon, she was going to disgrace herself…right in front of Hiccup.

He cleared his throat nervously. "Right…I guess we'd better get going then, hadn't we," he suggested, his gaze flicking towards the slumbering guard.

Astrid wanted very much to get going…preferably behind the nearest tree…when she noticed Hiccup doing some kind of odd shimmy action with his shoulders.

"What are you doing?" she asked curiously.

He gave her a guilty grin. "Just getting the key," he said vaguely, still wiggling.

She shot him a look of utter disbelief. "The key?" she repeated flatly, not thinking that this was at all funny. "You mean to tell me, that you could have escaped at any time…and you didn't? What are you, crazy?" she fumed, her voice rising.

He quickly shushed her, momentarily freezing while he checked on the guard. The hefty man snorted in his sleep, but otherwise didn't stir.

Hiccup went back to shaking. He gave her a clear look. "Would you have told me all that stuff if we were back at Gobber's house?" he asked pointedly.

She shuffled uncomfortably. "Well…maybe…yes? No, I don't know," she admitted. "But I thought this was it. I thought we were going to die," she wailed.

Hiccup's gaze was unwavering. "Exactly. I wanted to know what was _really_ going on in the mind of Astrid Hofferson…not some half concocted story that you would have made up to protect your pride," he told her. He added as an afterthought, "Although the dying part could still happen."

Astrid deflated, knowing that what he said was true. She had been so sure he had rejected her, that she would have pushed him away purely to protect her badly bruised heart. Despite the physical discomfort and the deceit, Astrid could admit she was glad he had done what he did. Otherwise, she would never have known how the elusive young man felt about her. Or admitted how she felt about him.

Hiccup suddenly stopped moving. "Ahh…got it," he said softly, his arms finally pulling free.

Astrid could see the small blade he carried in his hand as he made his way towards her. It wasn't long before she too was rubbing her wrists, attempting to encourage the blood to flow back to her extremities.

The guard snuffled, sleepily blinking his eyes open and yawned, exposing a huge cavity filled mouth.

Astrid and Hiccup froze, waiting for him to go back to sleep. But he didn't. His eyes opened wider.

"Hey…what are you doing?" he demanded to know, lumbering to his feet.

Astrid took three big steps towards the man, kicking him hard right in the gut.

"Oof," he grunted, falling heavily.

Hiccup was moments behind her with a knock-out punch. The man's eyes fluttered briefly, before closing again. He fell back towards the ground with a heavy sigh.

Hiccup stood over him a moment, his fists still raised and ready. He gave the fallen man a nudge with his toe, but when the big guy didn't move, he stood back and relaxed.

"He's out."

"Now it's our turn," Astrid reminded him.

She went to walk through the tunnel, but he stopped her. "There will be more guards outside. What we need is some kind of diversion first."

Just then an almighty 'BOOM!' made them drop to the floor, dust and small rocks sprinkling over them. Hiccup crawled towards Astrid, covering her body with his own.

When the earth stopped moving, the pair sat up, listening to the yells echoing in from outside.

Hiccup turned to Astrid, grinning madly and knowing full well where the explosion came from.

"Did I say we needed a diversion? Here's one I prepared earlier," he told her, a teasing sparkle in his eye while he stood up then offered her his hand.

Astrid groaned and rolled her eyes. "Twins," she huffed in a 'I should have known' kind of way. She allowed Hiccup to drag her off the floor.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

She nodded, still shifting uncomfortably. "Very ready to go," she stressed, the drop to the floor having done nothing for her full bladder.

Hiccup jolted. "Oh! Right. We'd better find you a safe tree to hide behind, then."

He cautiously led the way to the outside world, finding it in chaos with the dust still hanging in the air. Dagur's guards were lying on the ground in various states of unconsciousness. And in the middle of them all…

"Anybody order a Viking rescue?" grinned Tuffnut, an equally excited Ruffnut beside him. For some reason, the twins were wearing almost identical Viking helmets, complete with dents and horns.

Hiccup grabbed Tuffnut by the forearm, Tuff reciprocating. "Yeah, sure. We'll take one," he replied with a wide grin. Having the Thorston twins as friends was finally making sense.

Ruffnut's eyes widened when she saw her best friend. "Woah, Astrid! Is your head still attached?"

Astrid frowned and waved her hand impatiently. "I'm fine. How did you find us?" she wanted to know. Hiccup looked over, also curious about the answer.

Ruff shrugged. "Like we said...we know these tunnels like the back of our hand. Where else would any self-respecting villain take his victims? So it was only a matter of time before we found the right one. Plus all the guards gave it away."

Hiccup grinned while Astrid rolled her eyes.

The four began to pick through the debris and bodies, when Hiccup pulled Ruff to one side. "Can you ah…look after Astrid while she, er…has to go?" he asked quietly, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.

Ruff only cackled and offered him a fist bump. "Say no more," she told him, before grabbing Astrid's arm and dragging her into the bushes.

Hiccup immediately went searching for Toothless, giving a whistle and receiving a whine in return. It didn't take long to locate the wolf trapped in a metal cage barely big enough to hold him. Hiccup soon had his canine friend out.

He knelt beside Toothless, rubbing his hands through the black fur and checking for any fresh injuries. Thankfully there were none. Toothless was excited to see him, pushing him with his snout and licking Hiccup wherever he could, his tail wagging vigorously the entire time.

Hiccup laughed when he overbalanced, landing on his backside. "Good to see you too, bud," he told him in a low murmur, dragging the wolf into his arms gratefully. He'd been worried Dagur had killed him.

Tuffnut was already surveying the area, making sure they weren't about to be surprised by any leftover guards while they waited for the girls to come back. Hiccup and Toothless were soon beside him.

"Did you notice any other camps or guards close by when you came in?" Hiccup asked briskly, all business as he scanned the surrounding countryside, studiously avoiding the area the girls were in.

"Yeah…they should be here soon," Tuff told him nonchalantly. "We made a loud enough bang."

Hiccup could only roll his eyes and shake his head at Tuff's casual attitude. Toothless stiffened beside him, growling lowly. Hiccup peered in the direction Toothless was snarling at. Sure enough, he could see several dark haired and bushy bearded men slinking between the shadows under the trees.

Tuffnut linked his fingers together, then stretched his arms out in front of him to loosen up his muscles.

"This shouldn't take long," he told Hiccup, picking up a fallen spear and tossing another to the lean man. Hiccup grabbed it easily.

Hiccup flicked a glance back towards the still-hidden girls. Tuff followed his gaze. "Don't worry about them, H. They've got it covered," he advised him casually.

Toothless took that moment to slip away and disappear amongst the shadows that still clung to the undergrowth, the morning light barely registering. His presence was quickly felt amongst their enemies when a sharp scream pierced the air. Tuff grinned sardonically. "Go Toothless. One more down. Makes it way too easy for us," he said, half complaining to Hiccup.

The auburn haired man gripped his spear tighter in readiness, but he couldn't help a small smirk. The twins obviously thrived on this kind of stuff, ready to throw themselves willingly into any battle. Not only that, they seemed to have a perverse enjoyment in it.

"Let's get them, H. We can't let T have all the fun….ARRRGGGHHH!" Tuffnut yelled suddenly, charging towards their enemies with gusto. Hiccup was taken aback for a moment, but he quickly gathered his wits and jumped in right behind him. He swiped the legs out from under one man with his spear, causing the heavy set man to fall with a grunt. Using the solid spear handle, Hiccup soon rendered him unconscious just in time to fend off a second man who noisily charged him with an axe. He fought back.

Hiccup could see Tuffnut taking on two men at once and was about to edge towards him when Ruffnut appeared behind one and smashed him over the head, the man instantly collapsing to the ground.

"Hey butt-elf! Late as usual," Tuff shouted.

"I had to take Astrid to the loo," she shouted back without any delicacy. She smacked another guy over the head, making him see stars and fall forward in a cross-eyed grimace.

Astrid appeared beside Hiccup, an axe in her hand that he instantly recognized as his own. "Let's just tell everybody about my bodily functions," she grumbled sourly, smashing the back of the axe into the hip of a guard who was trying to sneak up on Hiccup. Hiccup felt an incredulous laugh burst forth, causing another man in front of him to pause.

"Is this amusing to you?" the man asked gruffly, highly offended.

"YES!" shouted Ruffnut, who had snuck up behind the guard. She laughed loudly, then hooked his feet out from under him. He fell like a ton of bricks.

The skirmish continued, the sounds of weapons clashing plus the groans of fallen men wiping out the pre-dawn silence. A few screams also punctured the gloom when the black wolf silently added his sharp teeth to the battle.

Hiccup felt that perhaps they might actually have a chance, when he heard a familiar and very unpleasant voice that made his blood run cold.

"HICCCUPPP!" screamed Dagur, striding out from amongst the disappearing shadows, the morning light slowly growing brighter. He was obviously furious, evident in the way he held himself with his fists clenched tightly and his jaw jutting out. Dagur's brow lowered and his narrowed eyes locked on Hiccup. There was no malicious smirk, only a deranged obsession to cause fatal harm to the young man who had managed to escape him for six years. Dagur picked up an axe, kicking aside a body to reach it.

Hiccup adjusted his grip on his own weapon, turning to fully face the man who had made his life a total misery. He knew straight away this fight would be the last…for one or both of them. It was time to end this and Hiccup held nothing but fierce determination to make sure it happened…regardless of the price.

He could hear the others moving in to help him.

"Stand back," he snapped at them. "Don't let anybody else interfere," he ordered roughly.

They stood back, pushing back any of Dagur's hired thugs who dared to get too close.

"Please be careful," Astrid said quietly. He barely acknowledged her with a slight nod to show he'd heard. 'Careful' was not really what he was going for right now.

Sweat was already gleaming on his skin, his muscles taunt from the fight so far. He took in deep breaths, sucking in precious air. Assuming a fighting stance, he waited for Dagur to reach him.

Dagur didn't stop, he took long strides in and raised his axe high. "ARRGHH," he screamed, swinging the axe in an attempt to separate Hiccup's head from his shoulders. Hiccup ducked then struck with his spear, hitting Dagur on his backswing and making him stumble slightly.

The crazed man spun around, slashing fiercely. Hiccup had to dance backwards, almost tripping in his haste to remove himself from the sharp blade. Astrid gasped when Dagur's axe managed to nick Hiccup across the chest, the red line through his slashed shirt immediately visible. Hiccup didn't falter, ignoring the sting to lift the spear and aim it towards Dagur's abdomen.

The stockier man dodged sideways. Hiccup swung the handle around and collided with Dagur's ribs with a dull 'thud'. Dagur screamed in frustration, taking a few steps back. His eyes glittered madly and his chest heaved in pure fury.

"Come here and die already," he demanded.

Hiccup circled warily, watching him closely. "Not today. Sorry," he taunted.

Dagur raised his axe and charged. Hiccup lifted up his spear to block the blow, the shaft vibrating heavily in his hands from the sheer force. Dagur pushed hard and Hiccup skidded back a few inches. His attacker pulled back and swung again a few more times, with Hiccup blocking each swing. Finally, Dagur stepped back for a momentary breather. Hiccup took his chance. He hefted the spear over his shoulder and using all his strength, shoved mightily towards Dagur's chest with a loud grunt.

Dagur barely dodged in time. The sharp end sliced through his armour, exposing the wounded flesh. Screaming in pain and frustration, he retaliated with multiple swings of his axe. Hiccup had to go on the defensive to avoid being sliced, his vest and loose shirt no match for the heavy weapon.

"Watch out!" shouted Astrid suddenly. Hiccup could see from the corner of his eye one of Dagur's men approaching behind him. He had no chance to side-step and a spear landed on his hip, sending him toppling to the ground. Astrid and Ruff soon had the other man out of commission but Hiccup was now in a vulnerable position. Dagur was quick to pounce, swinging his axe towards Hiccup's chest and straddling him in the same motion.

Hiccup gave a huge gasp, lifting his spear in both hands to take the blow. Dagur grinned manically, feeling the new position of power. He shoved harder on the axe. Hiccup grunted as he felt his arms give a little under the strain. The axe blade glinted in the sunlight now showing over the horizon. Dagur leaned closer, pushing the blade closer to the fallen man's neck, his hot breath washing over Hiccup.

"You're mine, now. Finally," Dagur gloated evilly.

Hiccup could do nothing except grunt in reply, the muscles in his arms feeling as if they about to burst with the effort of keeping the heavier man suspended over him.

He could hear Astrid screaming his name behind him, but the clashing of weapons let him know they had their own battles going on. They wouldn't be able to help him.

Just when Hiccup felt he couldn't take the strain anymore, suddenly, Dagur's weight disappeared. A black flash came out of nowhere, knocking Dagur sideways with a devastating growl. Hiccup only had the strength to lay back and pant heavily while he listened to the furious gnashing and growling of his best friend totally destroying his most dangerous enemy. Dagur's scream was brutally cut off. Silence followed, punctuated only by the sounds of Toothless taking his revenge on the man he hated the most.

Hiccup couldn't move, his body felt so incredibly heavy.

It was over.

Dagur was finished.

The sounds of soft cursing and emesis splashing over the ground let Hiccup's fuzzy mind know that it had been a gruesome way to go. He didn't know how to feel about it all. He expected to feel profound relief, wanted to find a sense of freedom. He didn't expect the intense sorrow that Dagur had to die for it all to end. It was quite overwhelming.

Tuff's ashen face appeared over the top of him. "Are you okay, man?" he asked frantically, offering Hiccup a hand.

Hiccup grabbed Tuff's wrist, allowing the dreadlocked blonde to pull him up.

"Had better days," he tried to joke, but it fell flat. When he turned to where Dagur lay, Tuff pulled him back.

"Don't look," he advised quietly.

The sight of Toothless instead, the evidence splattered over his thick mane was more than enough. Hiccup lurched forward and heaved up the contents of his stomach. Tuffnut grabbed him and held him till he had finished.

Hiccup pushed Tuff away and staggered over to Astrid, grabbing her arms and pulling her into his chest. He tucked her head into his shoulder and held her shaking form tight for a long time, her arms wrapping around his waist.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," he whispered. Astrid nodded, but said nothing. She had no words.

Hiccup lifted his eyes to the others. "Thank you, guys," he said simply, his heartfelt emotions evident in the wobble of his voice.

After having no friends for so many years, Hiccup decided finding some who were prepared to do what they had just done, he couldn't ask for any better.

The twins were standing close together with their shoulders touching, shuffling uneasily and eyeing off the black wolf with a mixture of fear and respect.

The silent group of four moved in to huddle close to each other amongst the carnage of their battle. Most of the men they had fought were still alive...somewhat... and needed to be rounded up. Despite feeling exhausted and in pain from their injuries, the four friends knew this was just the beginning. Drago would be here in a few short hours, bringing more troops with him.

"We need a clean-up crew," said Tuffnut, eyeing off the groaning bodies.

"Well, don't look at me," grumbled Ruffnut. "I clean 'The Barf 'n' Belch', I'm not cleaning up this lot too."

Hiccup shook his head. "Gobber will send someone out."

He released Astrid, but kept one arm slung around her shoulders while she kept her arm around his waist for support.

"Come on...let's get out of here," sighed Hiccup.

-oOo-

The twins and Astrid trudged in through the front door of Gobber's house. The old man stomped out to meet them but stopped short when he saw their gaunt faces, looking very much like they had fought… and lost.

When Snotlout had asked about Hiccup's whereabouts the previous night, it was then they had discovered Astrid was missing too. When Gobber had recalled Hiccup's words the last time he saw him, Gobber had felt his innards shrink and drop into his peg leg. It could only mean one thing…Dagur had them both.

Search parties had immediately been sent out in every direction till very late in the evening. Gobber had reluctantly called it off at that time, due to the dense darkness and the high risk of stumbling unprepared onto Drago's men, but demanded they all start again early the next morning. It was vital both young people were located before the meeting later that day.

But when the villagers had returned to regroup and start the search again this morning, Gobber had found two more youngsters missing…the Thorston twins. He was almost ready to send a search party after them too…when they came straggling in through his front door.

His gaze landed on Astrid, glad to see her returned in almost one piece. He took in her dishevelled appearance…including the long wound under her jaw and her shirt darkened with dried blood…and quietly gasped.

"Yeh alright, lass?" he asked gently.

She nodded wearily.

Gobber's gaze flicked behind the group, expecting to find the fourth person plus his wolf shadow. Neither were there.

"Where's Hiccup?" Gobber demanded, his heart nearly falling out of his throat when all three gave him such haunted looks in return. The old man paled and fell heavily onto his chair, immediately fearing the worst.

"He's still coming," said Tuffnut with a deep seated sigh as he flopped down on the couch. "He had to clean up Toothless first."

Gobber swallowed hard, relieved that Hiccup was okay but hoping nothing had happened to the wolf. The friendship between the two was so very incredible that he knew Hiccup would likely never recover if Toothless had been injured or killed.

"Why?" he asked, his voice sounding a little shaky.

Ruffnut fell down beside her brother, while Astrid found a singular chair. "Let's just say Hiccup doesn't have a Dagur problem anymore…and Toothless was the one to fix it," she added cryptically.

-oOo-

Hiccup had found a small stream, and walked there with Toothless after first waving the rest of the group on to Gobber's. He could barely look at the wolf, the smell and the sight more than enough to make him feel queasy. But this was something that needed to be done. It hadn't been the first time this had happened, although it had certainly been the first time the wolf had so thoroughly completed his self-appointed mission.

Gritting his teeth and half screwing up his eyes, Hiccup started the arduous task of cupping water in his hand, and rinsing away the mess over and over again, till the canine was practically soaked.

Watching the red colour drift through the water, Hiccup was suddenly overcome with emotion and threw himself at his wolf, his hands twisting into the thick fur while he held the canine tightly.

"Thank you…thank you, bud," he whispered brokenly against the wolf's neck, tears falling down his cheeks. Toothless whined gently but stayed close to his boy, just as he had for the six, very long years that Dagur had been pursuing Hiccup, causing them so much pain and misery. Both man and beast bore visible scars left by the red-headed Beserker, but the hidden emotional scars ran much deeper.

Knowing that Dagur could no longer hunt him was a huge relief, although Hiccup knew the man would still haunt his dreams for a long time to come. Right now, finally, he had a chance to heal.

Maybe…just maybe…he once again had a future.

Hiccup sat back on his haunches, wiping his cheeks and fighting to regain control of his emotions. They may have won the first battle, but the war had yet to start.

"Come on bud…we need to go."

-oOo-

By the time Hiccup and Toothless made it back to a relieved Gobber's house, the twins had already taken Astrid back to their place so she could freshen up and have her wounds cleaned. Hiccup had previously given them strict instructions not to go near Astrid's own home, simply because Heather was currently unaccounted for... and she knew where Astrid lived. Despite her ordeal Astrid had insisted on coming back with them, ready to be brought up to speed with Hiccup's plan to protect Berk. It was vitally important to her that she play as full a part as she could.

Gobber merely raised a brow when he watched her re-enter through his door with the twins. Hiccup gave her a jaded but warm smile, pleased to see the blonde woman looking slightly cleaner and fresher. Even if she did have a large dressing along the side of her jaw. He walked over to her and gently inspected the twins work, his fingers trailing up her neck.

"Interesting look you have going there," he teased quietly. She grimaced, knowing full well how beat up she appeared. The bruise across her cheek was starting to darken nicely, matching the deep shadows under her eyes.

She pointedly eyed off his bare chest and arms covered with his own selection of patch ups. "You seem to have a matching set...and aren't you missing something?"

It was Hiccup's turn to pull a face. "Messing with Dagur played havoc with my already limited wardrobe," he told her drily. "I have no shirts left."

Tuff popped up beside him. "You need a shirt? Why didn't you say so? I have a spare in the truck."

Before Hiccup or Astrid could say anything, he shot off outside. It didn't take him long to retrieve the shirt. Astrid had to giggle when Hiccup tried it on. Both men were tall and lean but it was very apparent Hiccup was the more muscular of the two when the shirt strained across his chest. Hiccup rolled his eyes while Ruffnut growled appreciatively. In the end, it didn't matter. They had a job to do and it was time to get down to business.

Hiccup went straight to the table, his lips thinned in determination. Toothless padded along beside him, sitting quietly under the table. He gave the wolf a distracted pat. Hiccup's own private battle with his tormentor might be over but Berk was still in trouble. On top of that, he still wanted answers. Who killed his father? And why?

His friends surrounded him, along with a few other Berkians who had been waiting anxiously since early that morning. Some had already been dispatched to collect the survivors of their first battle. The rest were waiting in their allocated positions around the town. Taking a deep breath, Hiccup began.

"Before we start, I want to say thank you to all those who searched for Astrid and I last night. I'm sorry we had to take you away from vital preparations. Thanks especially go to the twins for saving our backsides out there, and getting us back in one piece...sort of."

Ruff and Tuff high fived each other while the others chuckled.

"Right...as I'm sure you are all aware, today's Berk was built over the top of an old Viking settlement many generations ago when mining for precious gems started in the hills to the west of the town," said Hiccup, reciting the knowledge he had gleaned from Gobber, Fishlegs and Mayor Ingerman.

"When the mining stopped, the smuggling began, taking advantage of the multitude of tunnels that riddled the ground...some even coming right into the town itself. Despite the rich waters of the ocean, the cliffs were too steep for commercial fishermen...but perfect for smugglers...or those wanting to over-run a small town..."

Hiccup stopped to take a breath. "Drago's men are unfortunately, already familiar with those tunnels, so they will most likely enter from the sea up those narrow paths. Drago himself will come from the south through the only road entrance into town. They have to go past the woods to get here, but once they are in then we need to block that route. Ruff and Tuff...that will be your job. Make sure nobody can get in or out."

Tuffnut gave a sloppy salute to Hiccup. "You can count on us chief. I feel the urge to do some tree felling today...with the perfect stick of dynamite," he said cheerfully. Ruffnut rubbed her hands together and cackled gleefully beside her brother in agreement. Hiccup hesitated for a moment, casting the two a sideways glance ...before shaking his head and deciding he really didn't want to know.

He continued, "The East and North side of town will be covered but I don't expect them to come that way. The mountains are too steep in those areas. We'll be prepared anyway ...just in case. Now we won't have enough men and women on the ground to defeat them outright, so we need to stop Drago's men coming in to begin with. Plus we know Drago has a few traitors on the inside already so I urge everybody to be vigilant. Don't let your guard down for a moment."

Hiccup paused. As soon as he had said the word 'traitors, a low grumbling had started up. Spitelout was on the top of that list of non-trustworthy people. His son Snotlout was still considered questionable so Hiccup was glad the young man wasn't currently with them. The twins had already told him of their plans to collect Snotlout later on, once he had snuck away from his father. Unlike the other members of their small group of friends, Snotlout still lived with his parents.

Hiccup leaned forward to check his maps and make sure he hadn't left anything out. "Okay, you all know where you have been stationed. The plan is to allow Drago and his entourage in, but to keep his troops out. Ruff and Tuff will be in the woods on the south road. Ralph and Ventra Thorston will be at the cliffs, blocking the entrance from the sea and the tunnels."

Ruff and Tuff beamed proudly at the mention of their parents. The older Thorston's were already down by the cliff face, ready and waiting with their trusted crew.

"Ingrid and Brynjar Hofferson will be right in the middle at the Council Chambers themselves. As soon as Drago realises that Mayor Ingerman won't be giving in, he's going to start the fight. The Hofferson's will be his welcoming committee."

There were a few dark chuckles at this comment. Astrid only smiled grimly. She knew her parents were quite a formidable team, but it still didn't lessen her concerns for them.

"Fishlegs will stay here as central control. He will keep in touch with me in case there's any trouble."

While he spoke, Fishlegs tossed Hiccup a phone. The dynamic young man caught it easily and pocketed it before turning to Astrid. He spoke quietly. "Astrid, I need you to cover the library. Will you be okay with that?"

She nodded without hesitation. Although she would have preferred to be at one of the main battle points, she understood the reasons why Hiccup had placed her there. At this stage, Astrid was only grateful she had been given the opportunity at all. He could easily have packed her away with the other woman and children.

Hiccup turned to Gobber. "I'm sure you will put your 'special' talents to good use," he hinted darkly.

The old man crossed his arms over his broad stomach, and grinned menacingly. "Aye, lad. I won't let yeh down."

The phone rang. Fishlegs went to answer it.

"Okay. Then that's everyone settled. Let's..."

"Hiccup!" said Fishlegs urgently, interrupting him. "They're already here! Drago's men have started moving in through the woods and his ships are anchored off the coast."

Hiccup cursed. "Blast! I was afraid of that."

The rescue of Hiccup and Astrid had put their schedule behind, allowing Drago's men to slip through unchallenged. Instead of being on the offensive, now they were forced to be on the defensive...a position Berk didn't have the manpower for. He thought furiously for a moment.

"Okay, change of plan. We need Ralph and Ventra to start catapulting the ships and prevent any further men from coming in or escaping. We need to push the ones who have made it in, back through the mines towards the cliff edges where we can round them up. Watch those mine shafts. They can be hazardous to your health if you fall in one, because they are impossible to get out of on your own," he ordered rapidly.

Fishlegs nodded, the phone already out to pass the new instructions on.

Hiccup turned to the twins. "I need you guys to head out to the woods and stop anymore coming in. Push back the ones who have already made it. I'll join you shortly."

The twins gave identical evil grins. "We're all over it boss. Leave it to us," they shouted, rushing towards the door as they spoke.

Astrid went to follow them but Hiccup stopped her before she could leave. Pulling her away from Gobber's keen ears, he asked her quietly, "Are you sure you're up for this?"

He was watching her with worry etched across his furrowed brow. Feeling a rush of appreciation for his concern, she reached up and kissed his cheek. "I'm as ready as you are right now," she tried to reassure him.

Turning to leave, Astrid found herself unable to when he suddenly grabbed her hand. She raised her brow.

"I was serious earlier...when I said I wanted to take you out for a coffee when this is all over," he told her earnestly.

Astrid could only blush, a shy smile fighting to make its appearance. "I was too, Hiccup," she answered quietly.

A huge dopey grin surged across his cheeks making Astrid grin in return. He kissed her knuckles, his gaze never leaving hers. "Till then."

"Till then," she promised.

He let her go. Astrid found herself practically skipping out to her car, her heart feeling light within her chest.

Gobber was waiting for Hiccup with a broad grin. "So what was all that, then?" he asked with a suggestive waggle of his brows.

Hiccup only shrugged, trying to appear blasé. His self-satisfied smirk gave him away.

"Just doing the right thing."


	11. Chapter 11

If the outsiders hadn't already been expected, then the six black limousines...followed by a familiar Porsche...pulling up outside the Council Chambers would have been more than enough to alert the entire town.

Doors popped open, the sound echoing in the eerily quiet streets. Bodyguards surfaced from each vehicle, their hardened faces scanning the streets of Berk with ill-concealed disparity.

Only a few Berkians were there to witness the nightmarish scene, the rest already hidden away. Oddly, the few observers weren't involved in any normal daily activities. Instead, some were leaning quietly against fences or buildings while others shuffled their feet in agitation. What were they waiting for?

The answer rose from the first vehicle, a massively huge man with long, black dreads and a heavily scarred face. A black cloak draped across his shoulders only partially concealed an artificial arm, while a bull hook was gripped firmly in his right hand. It could only be one man.

Drago.

Casting a calculating glance over the small township, he noted the local residents loitering nonchalantly close by and chuckled darkly with a voice deep and filled with gravel.

"It seems we have a welcoming committee."

Beside him, Alvin the Treacherous gave his own throaty chuckle. "Berk seems to think it can take us on." His lip lifted in a sneer, exposing horrendously crooked teeth. He turned, his large frame almost matching his boss for sheer bulk. The impressive black beard flowing across his chest gave the illusion of an even greater girth.

Behind him Vorg and Savage, two members of the board, approached with an arrogant swagger. While not quite as fearsome as Drago and Alvin, the two were still scary enough to make small children cry and unsuspecting adults shudder. They, along with Alvin, had all attended school with Drago, their leader. It was his money-making schemes that had demanded their loyalty from the very start.

Originally their little band had included another member, Oswald the Antagonistic, until he changed his moniker to Oswald the Agreeable, his loyalty crumbling faster than a dodgy building in an earthquake. From there the man was declared a traitor and swiftly disappeared behind rumours that his own son Dagur had finished him off. His daughter Heather hadn't taken long to replace him on the board.

Doors slamming brought attention to the last two limousines. Two brothers, Ryker and Viggo.

With their slicked back hair and well trimmed goatee's, it was easy to see the two siblings were more refined than their slightly older counterparts. The calculating gleam in their eyes were a warning that it would be unwise to consider them any less sinister.

A take over of their own company a few years earlier had placed them under the personal tuition of Drago. Despite the non-existent option of retreating, the pair had been more than willing to become a part of his organization. Proving their usefulness many times over had led to an invitation to the board. One they'd readily accepted.

Only one vehicle remained, the Porsche driven by Heather herself. Exiting the car with elegant poise, the slender woman perched dark sunglasses over her heavily made up face. Despite the warmer weather, she wore a long-sleeved dress complemented with a scarf wrapped artfully around her neck like a coiled python.

All designed to cover some recently acquired bruising.

A throat cleared. Heather glanced up in irritation at the muscular young man standing before her, a tribal tattoo on his chin and his slick black hair held back with a tie. He waited patiently, an eyebrow quirked at how overdressed she seemed to be. It was almost as if he knew the exact reason why she had chosen this particular outfit.

She scowled. "Eret."

The cocky young man only smirked, shadowing her as she walked towards the others. He was Alvin's PA and she detested him, the smug expression he always wore irked her no end. Once, she had tried to use him to get closer to Alvin and Drago. He had allowed her to think she was succeeding...before thoroughly rebuffing her. The humiliation of it all still rankled.

Doing her best to leave him behind Heather hurried forward, placing herself close to Drago.

Drago turned his dark eyes on her then gave a small, mock bow. "Glad to see you could join us, Miss DeRange."

Heather eyed him with unflinching determination. "Drago."

Indicating the way forward she asked, "Shall we show these people that we are not to be messed with?"

Heather didn't dare presume to step before the great man so she stood aside and waited. Drago watched the only female and youngest member of his board of directors with an amused lift of his brow. He chuckled to himself. He knew her skills lay in how she manipulated others and had seen how she attempted to place herself closer to him, above the other men. He was not moved by her efforts but rather, was still calculating the best way to use her.

He also knew she came to him as a pair.

"I see your brother has failed to meet us," he said, still watching her.

Heather tensed. "He's...keeping any potential trouble contained," she told him.

The last she'd seen of Dagur was last night when he had brusquely dropped her back at the hotel. She knew he was likely keeping a close... and demented... eye on Hiccup and Astrid. Heather felt a twinge of remorse at her part in trapping both of them. She pushed it down. Power was her ultimate aim. With power she could pick and choose who she was friends with. Sure, some sacrifices had to be made, but...she glanced up at Drago, his impassive smirk reflecting the image of a man with nobody to fear...it was worth it in the end.

Drago leaned forward slightly. "Let's hope he keeps it that way," he murmured darkly. Standing back up straight, he paid Heather no further heed as he indicated to the guards to assume their positions around the building. They snapped to attention, hurriedly racing to their assigned places.

Drago then proceeded up the stairs of the Council Chambers, Alvin right beside him. Heather wasted only a moment before hurrying after them, sticking close to her boss. The other board members gave her odd looks. She didn't care. She was determined. Lethally so.

-oOo-

"KABOOM!"

The loud explosion was followed swiftly by the sound of a large tree creaking and groaning as it fell towards the ground, directly in front of the advancing troops.

"Bam! Tree down," shouted Tuffnut gleefully, watching the results of his handiwork.

His sister darted towards him, yanking him roughly by the arm as she ran.

"Tree number two about to blow," she warned with a victorious smirk.

A second "BOOM!" resounded behind them, followed by a loud CRAACK. The siblings had to duck at the last moment, barely avoiding the swathe of leaves that cascaded over them.

Tuffnut leaped straight up, punching excitedly into the air. "Yeah, baby! Woohoo! That's how you make a road block," he shouted triumphantly.

Ruffnut stood with her hands on her hips, scrutinizing the two trees that now lay over the road.

"Not bad," she finally decided.

Tuff was indignant. "Not bad? I'll have you know that's a work of art."

His sister turned around, ready to challenge him. "If the top branches of that one had intertwined in a ..."

"Guys," interrupted Snotlout. He was red in the face and puffing madly from having raced through the woods to locate the twins.

"What?" snapped both siblings at once.

Snotlout leaned forward on his knees, gasping deeply. He held one finger up in a 'wait a moment' gesture. When he had sucked enough air in, he tried again.

"More hunters…coming through…from the woods," he puffed.

Tuff immediately put his finger to his lip in a thoughtful manner, his brows furrowed. "Hmmm...what to do? Do we continue our beautiful artwork here to stop the rest of Drago's south-entering men? Or do we chase after the other group that's already in the woods? Decisions, decisions."

Ruff shrugged. "Let's think about this...What would Hiccup do?" she suggested.

Tuff caught something out of the corner of his eye and waved madly at a villager nearby. "Sven!" he hollered. "Hole in the wall. Runner coming through."

The others turned to see one of Drago's men sneaking through a break in the bushes, followed closely by a second man.

Ruffnut huffed in irritation. "What is it with these guys? Don't they know if the road is blocked? They are supposed to stay out."

A clash of weapons could be heard coming from the direction of the interlopers. Tuff shifted agitatedly from one foot to another, his fingers twitching. He wanted to be part of the action but he was forced to stay where he was until a choice had been made.

He whined, staring at Ruff and begging for help with his eyes.

Ruff turned to Snotlout. "Hey Snotty. Have you got the muscles to deal with those guys in the woods?"

The black haired man stood up straight and puffed out his chest. "Have you seen these guns?" he asked them, posturing with both arms pumped, showing off two slightly soft biceps. "They are locked and loaded, baby," he boasted.

Ruffnut sniggered at his optimism. "Great. Go put them to good use," she told him, indicating back towards where he had just come from.

Tuffnut smacked him on his shoulder, nearly knocking him forward. "Go forth young Snot…and conquer."

Snotlout tipped them a sloppy salute, his swagger back, and left them to go where he needed to be.

Ruff and Tuff turned to one other, then simultaneously charged to head butt each other.

"Oww! Thanks, I needed that," said Tuff, rubbing his head.

Ruff picked up a spear, raising it in the air in a challenge. "Let's do it for Berk," she yelled.

"For Berk!"

-oOo-

The atmosphere felt oppressively heavy as Drago entered the Council chambers, his directors close behind. Mayor Ingerman met them, his expression grim.

"Drago," Fiske said solemnly in way of a welcome, not even attempting to shake hands with the bigger man or any of his directors. His eyes did flick over the only feminine shape amongst the group, being careful not to show any emotion.

Drago sneered slightly. "Mayor. Let's not waste time with formalities and get right into it."

Fiske Ingerman's brows raised slightly in surprise but soon had his poker face back on. It was vital he showed no fear or hesitation with this dangerous man or he and his town would be lost. The Mayor was not a fighting man by any stretch of the imagination but politics had given him plenty of practice at keeping a straight face.

He waved towards the seats provided in front of the table. Drago ignored the gesture, preferring to keep standing with the other large men beside him in a show of intimidation. So Fiske remained standing as well. The Hofferson's and some other villagers stayed against the walls of the room, effectively surrounding Drago and his company.

Drago banged his bull hook on the ground in front of him, commanding the attention of the room. "Your town is dying. It has been since Stoick was mayor," he began in his deep sinister voice. "I'm here to save it."

Fiske had to fight hard to check the snort he so badly wanted to express.

"I've decided to take mercy on this...backwater town...by setting up my business out where the old mines are next to the ocean. Our commercial enterprise will bring money flowing back into the streets...and this town will thrive once again…if you agree to abide by my rules," he continued, his dark eyes glittering arrogantly.

Fiske physically puffed up in outrage. "We may not have many job opportunities in Berk but I won't stoop to dealing with people like you," he told him bravely.

Drago sneered at him. "You fool. You think you can survive without me? Then let me rephrase my demands this way...I will be setting up my business here against the cliffs, or..." he paused to lean forward in a menacing manner. Fiske was forced to step back. "...it would be such a shame if certain...tragedies...were to occur."

The mayor trembled. However, he wasn't prepared to give up and roll over just yet.

"N...no, you won't. Stoick gave up everything to bring you down twenty-two years ago, but he's finally done it. A certain ...book...has come to light as a result of his efforts," Fiske told him, hoping the tremor in his voice wasn't too noticeable.

Drago scoffed, shrugging a shoulder disparagingly and glancing around the room. "A book? A book can't stop me. You forget, I own ...something here...a young man." He raised his scarred eyebrow in a threatening fashion at the obviously frightened Mayor.

Fiske gulped audibly, sweat already dripping down from his hairline. Poker face was one thing but this guy was a completely different scenario. If he hadn't already been briefed on Hiccup's rescue or had enough fighting townspeople with him, Fiske may have begun to think about caving in at this point. But he had seen and heard enough to know he could trust in the young man's plans…and his own people.

"Actually…you don't," he said bravely. He could see how tense the Hofferson's were behind Drago, waiting for their signal to start.

Drago seemed to visibly expand at the Mayor's words. "What do you mean…I don't?" he roared. His gaze instantly swept towards Heather, who gasped at the news and hastily stepped away. She stopped when she found herself backed up against the solid chest of Eret, his hand coming up to lightly curl around her arm. She winced when he landed on her fresh bruises.

Mayor Ingerman gained courage at Drago's falter. He spoke up again. "We have the book... and we have Hiccup. We know who and what you are and we have enough information to bring you down. We know about your plan to take over our town by force. As we speak your people are being pushed back by ours." The sound of fighting outside the Council chambers could be faintly heard, verifying his words.

"So you see, Drago, we don't need you," finished Fiske bravely. He quickly indicated to the Hofferson's to take over while he stepped back out of harm's way. The Hofferson's and their crew pressed forward to make their presence felt to the eight interlopers.

Drago's cloak swirled around him as he turned to rapidly assess the room. He was a fighting man and could easily hold his own despite his one arm, but being cornered in an unfamiliar building with an unknown number of adversaries waiting for him was not a risk worth taking.

"You will regret this," he snarled at the Mayor. "I will finish this town…and then come back for you," he promised savagely. Fiske shrank back even further, clearly terrified.

Eret had been hedging his way towards the door, quietly dragging Heather with him. Drago saw him, realising what Alvin's PA was doing. He was clearing a path. Suddenly Eret shoved the slender girl towards the closest Berk guards. Heather shrieked, raising her hands to protect her face. The guards hesitated, grabbing her to stop her falling. It was all the distraction needed.

Eret pushed through the gap with Drago and the others hot on his heels. The fighting spilled out of the building and into the street, the Hofferson's and their warriors doing all they could to slow Drago and his men down. Not an easy task. The man himself was a formidable fighter with that bull hook of his. Alvin was no slouch either, a villager flying through the air after daring to strike him.

Heather managed to hold her own after snatching an axe from a fallen villager and wielding it quite successfully against the Berk guards. Ducking behind Viggo and Ryker for protection also helped.

Drago was quick to size up the situation. Despite their fighting prowess, the men he had with him were already overwhelmed. He needed to regroup with his main fighting force positioned at the sea cliffs to the north. From there he'd be able to reclaim the small amount of ground lost when his soldiers flooded the town. He growled, swiping his hook at a villager. Fiske Ingerman would pay for his insolence. That was a promise.

Frustration fuelled him with added strength. Stoick's death was supposed to be the end of any resistance but the man's skinny son had proven to be much more trouble than expected. Dagur had failed him once again and now the book was in Hiccup's hands. Not a desired outcome. Never mind. Once the town was his that book would be of no consequence. And this town would become his. It was only a matter of time.

Three villagers attacked him at once, momentarily distracting him. With his one arm, Drago pushed them back, his bull hook knocking them flat. The trio hastily withdrew. Drago took that small reprieve to determine how much effort he should put into this skirmish. There were more Berkians than he expected, but he also suspected this was probably the majority of their fighters. Pulling back now wouldn't hurt his chances. He would be back. There was no doubt about that.

He turned, catching the eye of Alvin. Jerking his chin towards the cars he received a nod in confirmation of his unspoken orders.

His cloak flared around him as he spun, catching the Berk warrior sneaking up behind him. Whirling the bull hook in his hand he shot the man a dark look promising pain. Gulping, his enemy quickly retreated. A sinister chuckle left his lips. These weren't fighters. They were children playing at being soldiers. Easy pickings.

Despite the efforts of Berk's warriors, the directors and their menacing leader successfully fought their way clear to their cars with the intention of a strategic escape….

….Until they found a bald guy with a long moustache and a protruding belly standing cheerfully beside the raised bonnet of the third car, vital engine cables dangling from his hand. Glancing back along the line of limos it was easy to see all the vehicles, excluding the first two, had been targeted with raised bonnets and obvious engine damage. Even Heather's Porsche had been disabled.

Eret pointed at the first car, yelling "Here" to Drago and Alvin. He ran towards the driver's door, knocking aside Brynjar Hofferson to reach it.

The two leaders didn't argue, sliding into the back seat of the limo even as the wheels were spinning on the bitumen. Before any of the other directors could even hope to get close to the car Eret had driven off towards the north…and the sea cliffs.

The other four directors changed tack and jumped into the second car, leaving Heather out in the cold. Her mouth gaped open at being abandoned so callously, before she was forced to turn and sprint down the street towards the southern road entrance. Dodging a few Berkians and ramming her elbow into others, she made her escape.

Viggo chose the drivers seat of the second vehicle. Slamming the car into gear he revved the motor hard with the intention of following his boss...only to find they were going nowhere.

The driveshaft had been disconnected.

All at once the car was surrounded by weapon wielding townspeople. Viggo and the others had no choice except to slowly put their hands up, admitting defeat.

-oOo-

Hiccup grunted as he took another hit from one of Drago's soldiers, swiftly returning the favour. He had made it to the southern entrance and was fighting off intruders along with the twins. Snotlout was further away in the woods fighting with the other villagers against Drago's men still pouring in from the south. The twins road blocking tactics had definitely slowed them down, but had not stopped the flow altogether.

On one side of him Ruff was facing off against three men at once, spinning and attacking with wild glee. Further over was her brother Tuff, taunting a single man.

"Call yourself a fighter? My sister fights better than you, and she's a girl," he mocked the heavy set guy. The soldier grunted in outrage, rushing headlong to tackle Tuffnut against the nearest tree.

"Oof! Pain…gotta love it. Is that the best you can do?" Tuff forced out between clenched teeth, using his spear to push back at his attacker. He was clearly losing against the much bulkier guy... till he changed tactics. He suddenly reached down and tickled the man's ribs. "Tickle! Tickle!" he teased, causing the man to jolt with the unexpected trick.

It was enough and Tuffnut wasted no time in giving himself more room. The two men circled each other when a shrill ringing sound interrupted them. Tuff put his finger up.

"Can you give me a sec? I need to answer this call," he asked politely, but the soldier wasn't feeling very considerate right then. He raised his axe and charged with a loud yell.

Tuff ducked. He glanced towards his sister still holding her own against the other three.

"Hey Ruff! I need to answer the phone, but this behemoth is not very civilized," he complained in a loud voice. "Come over here and keep him busy for me, will ya?" he asked, dodging another swipe and landing one of his one.

Ruff let out a huge exasperated sigh. "Kinda busy myself right now," she snapped back, deflecting a swipe.

"Please? I have to answer before it rings out," Tuff pleaded, poking his opponent in the chest and forcing him back with a grunt.

Ruff rolled her eyes. "Okaayy," she answered in a belligerent tone. Facing the three men who were arranged in a semi-circle around her, she suddenly gave a wild yell and swung her spear in a wide arc, hitting the first guy in the head, then the second and the third. They all dropped to her feet, unconscious.

Tuff stepped back. "Thanks," he said, pulling his phone out to answer it just as it reached the last ring.

His opponent was momentarily affronted. "That's plain rude," the man snarled, ready to charge but finding his path blocked by a blonde female with a roguish smirk.

"And that was just plain stupid," she said, stabbing him with her spear.

Tuff walked away from the fighting, his finger in his other ear to block out the noise.

"What? You want who?... You want Hiccup?" he said loudly into the phone. He looked over to see Hiccup taking down two guys before whirling on another two who had approached him from behind. "He's with some other people at the moment, can I give him a message?...Okay. Hold on a moment."

Tuff held the phone to his chest. He cupped his hand around his mouth and hollered, "Hey Hiccup! Fishlegs says that Alvin and Drago escaped. They were last seen driving a limo towards the coast."

Hiccup spun in a low circle, sweeping the legs out of his current opponent and sending him flying. He stood up, panting and sweating. "Driving a what?" he shouted back.

"A limo."

"A limo? How far do they expect to get with that?" he yelled, taking a step towards his long-haired friend.

Tuff shrugged. "Maybe it's an All-Wheel drive. Duck."

Hiccup ducked, swiftly flipping to land a high kick on the jaw of the soldier who had followed him.

He stood up. "Probably not. Step left."

Tuff stepped left, the clang of weapons vibrating in his right ear where his sister had blocked an axe flying towards his head.

"Have you got a message for Fishlegs? Behind you," Tuff hollered.

Hiccup turned swiftly, his fist coming upwards in a lethal uppercut to an unsuspecting villain, felling him like deadwood.

He turned back. "Yeah. Tell him I'm going after them." At that moment, a soldier came up behind him with a spear and dropped it over Hiccup's head, using the long shaft to pin the slender man against his broad chest. Hiccup struggled momentarily. Another man walked in front, a sadistic grin on his ugly face. He punched Hiccup solidly in the ribs.

"Ooof."

Tuffnut hollered over. "Shall I say you're a bit tied up at the moment?"

"Yeah…that," Hiccup choked back, having lost a full lungful of air.

The man went to attack Hiccup with a second punch, but Hiccup threw his head back into the nose of his captor, using the man's bulk as ballast while he swung his legs into the face of the second guy. Both men fell flat, leaving Hiccup standing there with a hand on his bruised ribs, his chest heaving as he fought to regain his breath.

"Probably shouldn't take too many more of those," he groaned to himself, staggering away.

Tuffnut was still talking on the phone, casually relaying information to Fishlegs while standing nonchalantly in the middle of a battlefield. His sister was left to fight off those who were attempting to take advantage of his supposed non-attention. Leaning on his spear, he looked very much like he didn't have a care in the world. Till he suddenly picked up the spear and swung it horizontally to hit a soldier square in the chest, causing the other man to fly off his feet and land hard on his back.

Tuff briefly looked down. "That's gotta hurt," he winced, tucking the phone into his pocket.

"Finished talking to your girlfriend?" Ruffnut asked him sarcastically, stabbing another soldier in the foot and making him hop around in pain. "Some of us are working here."

"Yeah, yeah, keep your curlers in," grumbled Tuffnut. He picked up his spear and charged towards a group of Drago's men. "ARRGHH!"

-oOo-

Back at the Council chambers, Mayor Ingerman was stepping cautiously out of his corner. The bulk of the fighting had died down and he needed to check in with Fishlegs.

At the front entrance of the building Fiske nervously scanned the area. Only a few Berk guards remained, the rest having been re-deployed or involved in securing the captured directors. Walking around the corner of the Council Chambers his steps were hurried as he strode towards his car. Before he could reach it, however, Mildew suddenly stepped out of the shadows, blocking his path.

He frowned. "What are you doing, Mildew? Get out of my way," Fiske demanded, irritated at having his progress hampered by the troublesome old man.

Mildew sneered. "Don't think you've won yet. I stopped Stoick before. I can stop you too," he threatened.

Fiske stared at the twisted figure with contempt. "What are you talking about, you old fool."

Thin lips curled into a triumphant sneer. "I was the one who stopped Stoick from reaching his wife when she was taken," he boasted in a cruel voice. "I was the reason he left Berk."

Fiske gasped in outraged shock at this admission. "How could you? Mayor Stoick was an honest and hard-working man. He didn't deserve for his wife to die," he shouted.

Mildew shrugged in a dismissive fashion. "He had to go. I warned him, I did. He wouldn't listen to me and do what I told him. Once he was gone, life in this town was so much better."

Mayor Ingerman had to wonder if the old man had fallen and cracked his head one too many times. In his recollection the town had suffered badly with criminal elements having almost free reign after Stoick had left.

"There is something seriously wrong with you," he told the old man, appalled at Mildew's behaviour.

One bony finger stabbed through the air at the current mayor. "I called Alvin when I recognized Hiccup. He looks just like his mother, he does. Not hard to spot at all," he continued smugly. "Drago will get rid of him, too," he promised with an evil cackle.

Fiske glowered with determination. "Not on my watch."

Mildew only sneered. "See if you can stop him."

"You're a slimy old man, Mildew," Mayor Ingerman spat in disgust.

"How dare you?" Mildew snivelled indignantly, but his eyes grew wide when he saw the Mayor's fist tighten up and draw back.

"You wouldn't hit an old man?" he cried.

"Watch me," bit back the Mayor.

"I'll have you," screamed Mildew as he backed up. "I'll have your Mayorship."

"It will be worth it," Fiske said grimly, before launching an uppercut to Mildew's chin, sending the old man flying backwards, landing in a heap.

He stood over the crumpled figure on the ground to make sure the nasty piece of work wasn't going to move again. But there was no motion. Fiske nodded with satisfaction.

"I've been waiting years to do that. Glad to finally get that out of my system," he murmured to himself, shaking out his battered knuckles.

Then he turned and walked away, without looking back. He had a town to serve.

-oOo-

Eret drove like a madman possessed. His two passengers hung on grimly in the backseat as they let the PA take a limo deep into the scrub, a place where no limo had ever dared travel before. The car jolted as it hit a stump and launched over it. Drago and Alvin only grunted when the car landed heavily, not saying anything. A knocking noise immediately began an irregular beat in the front of the vehicle. Eret ignored it, choosing to plant his foot on the accelerator and rev it harder.

"Watch it, boy," Alvin finally shouted after another hard landing.

Eret only glanced in the rear-view mirror, continuing to drive till he attempted to scrape over a small rock that was big enough to stop him. The car juddered to a sudden holt, the engine screaming in protest at the loss of traction.

"Woah," yelled Alvin, all three of them thrown forward with the momentum of their mad dash.

Eret sat back and looked around. He opened his door.

"Time to walk."

-oOo-

"This is ridiculous. We need to put Thurston Plan 101 codenamed 'Chicken' into operation," decided Tuffnut, swiping back another soldier. The other villagers fighting alongside them were similarly overwhelmed.

"I agree, dear brother. There are too many for one-on-one combat," puffed Ruffnut, her back to him as she continued to fight. Finally, the soldier was down and they were able to take a breather.

Hiccup was close enough to hear them. "Thurston Plan 101? Do I want to know what that is?" he asked in alarm, dodging a swipe from a wickedly sharp axe.

The twins shot each other a grin that their leader could only describe as 'lethal'.

"Never mind. Forget I asked."

Tuffnut nodded in agreement. "For the best."

Just then Snotlout came staggering over towards Hiccup and the twins. "There's too many of them," he panted. "Plus half of them have escaped into town anyway. What are we going to do?" he wailed.

Hiccup threw off his last challenger. "They're getting into town?" he asked in concern, walking closer.

"Loads of them," confirmed Snotlout.

"Astrid," Hiccup whispered to himself, worried about what was happening to her. He needed to go see what was going on in town. Plus he'd told Fishlegs he was chasing after Drago and Alvin but there hadn't been any respite from the soldiers breaking through their defences. He had a moment of indecision, knowing he couldn't do both.

"I need someone to follow them and report back."

Tuffnut tilted his head towards Snotlout.

Hiccup turned to his newly discovered cousin, heavy scepticism written across his features. "Him?" Sure, the twins seemed to think he was okay, but he was still the son of a known traitor.

Ruffnut moved over and rested her forearm on Snot's shoulder. "Yeah, he can do it." She shoved her hand in the shorter man's face and pushed, making Snotlout stumble.

"Hey!"

Tuffnut sniggered. "You know we'd do it, H, but 'Thurston Plan 101 needs two Thurston's." He flicked his thumb between himself and his sister. "And we're the only two here."

Hiccup wasn't completely sold on the idea but he had no other choice right now. Plus the twins had come through for him before. He could only trust their instincts.

Eyeing his cousin he asked, "Can I trust you to chase after those guys in town and report back what they're doing...and maybe find Astrid to see if she's okay?" Hiccup hated to add that last part in but he knew he wouldn't be able to do it himself.

Snotlout's grin grew wide. "Look out for my babe? I'm there."

Hiccup frowned. "That's not what I..."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I've got this," Snot waved dismissively, already walking away.

Ruff stopped him before he got too far. "Snot, don't mess with her. She's with Hiccup now."

Snotlout snorted. "Yeah, right. As if."

Ruff stood back and waved him on. "Okay. It's your funeral."

Snotlout only grinned and took off at a quick jog. He soon disappeared.

Hiccup scowled, not entirely sure he'd done the right thing. He could only hope Astrid was okay.

A low rumble coming from town began to increase in volume till an old Chevy truck came into view. It swung round in a circle, then slowly reversed up to where they were standing. A tarp hid something large in the tray. Gobber jumped out of the cab, his grin wide.

Hiccup strode over. "What have you got in there, old man?" he asked, attempting to peek underneath the tarp.

Gobber's grin grew wider. "My special contraption. I've been working on this fer a few years now," he told them proudly, untying all the ropes. He nodded towards Hiccup. "You were the inspiration for it."

Hiccup was shocked. "Me? How?"

"This is built from one of yer plans. Yer dad sent it to me a while back. Thought I might like to do something with it seeing as he couldn't find reason enough to make it." Gobber untied the final rope and pulled back the tarp with a flourish.

Hiccup couldn't believe what he was seeing. "It's my bola and net thrower," he whispered, in total awe that his crazy pencilled plans were now in front of him in all their 3D glory…built with car parts of course. He ran his fingers over the weapon, noting the modifications Gobber had made to his design.

"Yup! That's it. Now stop ya gawkin' and help me get this thing set up," demanded Gobber.

The twins didn't need to be told twice. They were already in the back running their hands over the new weapon and soon had it figured out while Hiccup sat back and chuckled at their ecstatic expressions. Finding the big red 'launch' button, Tuffnut eagerly pressed it. A large net blasted out from the canon, neatly pinning several of Drago's men that had the misfortune to find themselves in the firing line.

The twins hollered in excitement, already reloading the machine for another round.

Tuff was in raptures as he looked it over. "Gobber, I could kiss you right now."

Gobber pulled back in alarm. "Please don't."

Hiccup chuckled. "Old man, you've saved the day," he said with a lop-sided grin.

Gobber shrugged. "Eh. Got a few more surprises up my sleeve yet," he told his young friend. "So tell me...what's been going on here?"

Hiccup quickly brought him up to speed, including his pressing need to find the two missing leaders. Gobber clamped a meaty hand over Hiccup's shoulder.

"Go do what'cha gotta do," he told him. "I'll look after things here."

Hiccup sighed in relief. "Thanks Gobber. I owe you one."

Gobber waved him on. "We'll talk about who owes what when you've stopped this mess."

Hiccup nodded then turned around, whistling for Toothless as he raced towards his truck.

The old man watched him go with a fond smile. "Come back alive, lad."

Turning around he found himself confronted by two sneering hunters. "Morning lads. You wouldn't hurt a one-legged, one armed man now would yeh?" he asked.

The two looked at each other and relaxed a bit, thinking they had this in the bag.

Gobber chuckled darkly. "Wrong move," he grunted...before smacking them over the head with his hammer attachment. Both crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Giving their unresponsive bodies a nudge with his wooden peg leg, he looked up.

"Righto...who's next?"

-oOo-

The bearded hulk of a figure launched a solid shoulder into the library door, causing it to swing freely under the pressure. Smug grin in place, he stepped inside...only to be greeted by a furious blonde female.

The hunter grinned, exposing crooked teeth.

"Oh goody, they left a present for me," he leered.

Astrid smiled sweetly. "Yes, they did," she agreed, before slicing through the rope that was stretched taunt beside her.

His grin faltered as he noticed...too late...the huge log swinging towards him. With no time for evasion, the full brunt of the hit impacted his chest, sending him flying backwards out of the building and landing with a loud 'whoosh', the wind knocked completely out of him.

Astrid slammed the door shut.

Dazed and breathless, the hunter lay still for a few minutes before finally staggering to his knees. Grabbing a handful of long, dry grass, he twisted it into a crude torch. Setting fire to the leaves, he brandished it in front as he warily approached the library door and pushed it open. Immediately he was confronted with the same blonde wearing a smirk, one hand placed on a cocked hip.

"Back again?" she asked, before blasting a can of pepper spray through the flame and sending a plume of fire exploding back towards him. The man screamed and dropped his torch, accidentally igniting the wooden floor. Not that he cared. He was too busy batting the sparks from his hair, beard and eyebrows. Within a few moments there was nothing but wispy smoke rising from his singed face...and he was furious.

Glowering at the blonde woman, he finally registered the fire that had rapidly sprung up around them. He gloated, "Wooden building...unstoppable fire...how fast can you run?"

Astrid yanked a fire extinguisher off the wall and faced him with it.

"Faster than you," she told him through gritted teeth, flipping the large red canister so that she was now wielding it like an oversized baseball bat. "First, I need to put out the trash."

Swinging the fire extinguisher in a wide arc, she hit the surprised man right in the centre of his chest. He flew backwards out the door yet again, this time landing with a sickening crack.

Astrid approached cautiously, the canister raised high. Nudging his motionless body netted no result. He was out cold. No more lighting fires for him.

Spinning on her toes, she raced back inside to control the flames licking towards Fishleg's cherished books, taking a few minutes to use the canister for its original intended purpose. The fire soon spluttered to its finish.

Swiping her arm across her sweaty and soot covered brow, Astrid scanned the room noticing all the damage.

"Oops," she said to herself. "Sorry Fish."

A quick check on her 'victim' showed he was still out cold. A movement further away caught her eye. One of Drago's men was sneaking down the pathway into town.

"Oh no you don't," she murmured, picking up the fire extinguisher again. It was empty but it had already served an alternative purpose once before. It could do it again.

Racing as quietly as she could down the street, she was almost at the café before she caught up with the intruder.

"Hey, you!" she shouted, still running while the guy turned in surprise. Astrid swung the red fire extinguisher towards him, the impact causing him to stumble. Keeping her momentum up, she barrelled into him, shoulder down. The crash sent both of them sprawling. Astrid was quicker to regain her feet, her weapon of choice still in her hand.

The henchman rolled out of harm's way of her wild swing, then sprang to his feet. He faced off against her.

"Think you can fight me, little girl?" he sneered, waving his fingers at her in a 'come on' gesture. Astrid yelled a battle cry then charged. This time she connected with ribs, the soldier grunting in surprise. They continued to fight, Astrid using everything she had against the much heftier man.

A lucky strike saw the cannister finally knocked from her hands, the hunter downright predatory while he waited for her next move. Astrid's lungs were heaving with exertion but she wasn't giving up yet. A hefty blow aimed for her jaw. Astrid sidestepped. Unfortunately she tripped, crashing to the ground. Stunned, she saw the hunter coming for her so quickly put her arm up to protect herself...but nothing happened.

Confused she lowered her arm to find Snotlout, of all people, standing triumphantly over Astrid's unconscious opponent. He crossed his arms...then placed one foot on the man's chest in obvious pride.

"Snotlout?" Astrid yelled in total disbelief. "Where the heck did you come from?" she demanded, standing up to brush herself off.

He gloated at her. "I know you love me, babe. Since I just rescued you and all. You don't have to thank me. Just your undying gratitude will be enough," he told her, thumping his chest boastfully.

She picked up the empty canister and threatened him with it. "What stunt do you think you're trying to pull? We are in the middle of a war and I don't have time to waste with your stupidity," she told him, her eyes flashing furiously.

Snotlout's eyes widened. He put his hands up in surrender. "Woah, Astrid! I'm on your side. Hiccup and the twins sent me to find the bad guys."

Astrid was still suspicious. "Which bad guys?"

"The ones that got through their road block," he told her quickly. He put his hand over his heart. "Honest, Astrid. I'm not lying. I want to help…you know…protect Berk."

His shoulders slumped forward and he admitted shamefully, "Turned out Heather was only using me to get to Hiccup. I thought she liked me, but she wasn't my friend."

Astrid eyed him narrowly for a moment longer before deciding he was telling the truth. She lowered the canister.

"Okay. I believe you. Come on, we'll go find the bad guys together," she told him, feeling slightly generous. Having a partner, even if it was Snotlout, would mean at least her back was covered.

Snotlout grinned and puffed up with his usual cockiness. He swung an arm around her shoulders. "You and me, babe."

A second later, he was lying breathless on the ground having been thrown over Astrid's shoulder.

Astrid leaned over him and shook her finger in warning. "Don't even think about hitting on me, do you hear? I really like Hiccup, not you. But maybe…if you behave…I could learn to like you. As a friend."

Snotlout sat up and grumbled, "Hiccup this. Hiccup that. What does he have that I don't?"

She glared at him. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

He shook his head glumly. "No."

She stuck out her hand to him and helped him to his feet.

"Good. Let's go get some bad guys."

He grinned, cockiness back in place. They were back in action.


End file.
